The PaperCut NG/MF End User License Agreement (EULA) is the contract between PaperCut Software Pty Ltd of Camberwell, Victoria, Australia and the organization that installs or licenses PaperCut NG or PaperCut MF.[1] The published page carries no version date; its footer reads “Copyright (c) 2024”. Under the EULA, the “Agreement” means the EULA plus PaperCut’s Support Policies, together with “any further obligations or limitations” in the Contract Details for a Production License.[1]
The Contract Details are “the core details of any transaction for a Production License”. They are usually agreed with an Authorized Agent and record the maximum number of devices or other licence metric, any Maintenance & Support, and the fees. They “grant you no additional rights against PaperCut over and above those set out in this EULA”.[1]
Editions
The EULA defines three kinds of licence:
| Licence | Clause | Grant | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation License | 3.6-3.8, 4.1 | Free, to evaluate before buying; may be used in production during evaluation | Automatically after 40 days unless extended |
| Standard License (perpetual or Fixed Term) | 4.2 | Up to the maximum number of Users or other metric in the Contract Details | Perpetual; or at the Expiration Date (Fixed Term); or when a Subscription License is granted |
| Subscription License | 4.3 | Up to the maximum number of devices or other metric in the Contract Details; revocable | At the Expiration Date, or when the agreement with the Authorized Partner ends |
Sources: EULA clauses as listed.[1]
The two Production Licenses do not coexist. The EULA’s “IMPORTANT NOTE” states that “The Subscription License is not compatible with perpetual licenses”. Unless agreed otherwise in writing, any perpetual PaperCut MF or NG licence terminates automatically when a Subscription License is granted.[1] See A Subscription License terminates perpetual licences.
Metrics
The User is the metric written into the EULA itself. It is “an identifier (individual’s name or generic term such as “purchasing officer”) that is listed as a user in the Software’s database”. “Any User that is defined by a generic term may only be used by a single individual”, and the Users of the licensee and its Affiliates are counted “in aggregate”.[1] The Subscription grant counts devices instead.[1] The catalog rows are User and MF device entitlement.
The software may run on “Authorized Platforms”, defined as servers, workstations, printers, MFDs and mobile devices owned, leased or controlled by the licensee or its Affiliates.[1]
Counting / floors
Both Production Licenses are “indivisible” and limited to the licensee’s “internal business data processing/printing requirements”.[1] Both include use “for testing, disaster recovery and backup (hot or cold), without additional Fees”.[1] See Testing, disaster recovery and backup use without additional fees.
Quantities are enforced technically as well as contractually. The licensee accepts “that the License Key may prevent, hinder or reduce availability of features where You are using the Software in excess of the usage rights that You have agreed to pay for”.[1] More Users, devices or Maintenance & Support are ordered through updated Contract Details with an Authorized Agent, or “directly with PaperCut in limited circumstances”.[1] PaperCut may send an Order Confirmation summarizing the Contract Details, and any discrepancy must be reported within 48 hours.[1]
Prohibited actions
Clause 4.5 lists what the EULA does not permit. The licensee may not:
- use the software for “any facility management or service bureau service, or for the benefit of any third party (other than an Affiliate)” (rule).
- disclose the software to third parties.
- “sub-license, lease, rent, loan, assign, novate or otherwise transfer the Software”.
- reverse engineer the software except as the law allows.
- use any part of it other than as an integrated part of the whole program.
- let it become subject to a charge or security interest.[1]
The licensee may not assign the agreement without PaperCut’s written consent. PaperCut may terminate immediately if the licensee merges, sells substantially all of its assets, or undergoes a change of control, defined as the acquisition of 50% or more of its voting shares, equity or assets.[1] See Change of control lets PaperCut terminate.
Audit
Under clause 4.7, “During the period of this Agreement and for 2 years thereafter”, the licensee must let PaperCut or its nominee inspect the software, “the usage logs in the Software”, and any records kept in connection with the agreement. If access to offices is needed, PaperCut must give reasonable advance notice, attend during business hours, minimize disruption, and use only a nominee who is not the licensee’s competitor and who has signed a non-disclosure agreement.[1] See PaperCut may inspect usage for up to 2 years after the agreement.
Fees and payment
Payment “is typically handled by the agreement between you and the Authorized Partner”. Failing to pay a partner in full and on time “will constitute a breach of this Agreement”.[1] Direct invoices from PaperCut are due within 14 days. Late amounts bear interest at 4% over the Reserve Bank of Australia cash rate, and PaperCut may suspend access until it is paid.[1]
PaperCut’s refund policy gives a full refund, less administrative fees, if the request is made in writing “within 60 days of order”. Support must first have had the chance to resolve any problem, and the licensee must confirm that the licence will be destroyed and the software uninstalled. Partners may charge their own refund fee.[5] The MF purchasing FAQ adds that PaperCut “may deduct a small administrative fee depending on how long you’ve held the license”.[6]
Maintenance & Support
Under the EULA, M&S runs “for 12 months from the Effective Date” when it is ordered. It covers Updates and Upgrades released during the period, plus defect support escalated through the licensee’s help desk and its Authorized Partner.[1] PaperCut has no obligation to support versions past an announced “end of life” date, which it posts with “at least 90 days’ notice”.[1]
Cost. “M&S costs a percentage of your license value”, falling per year the longer the term bought. It can be bought “for up to five years in advance”.[2] For NG, first-year M&S is “mandatory for the first year at a flat, introductory price”, and later M&S is based on total licence value.[7] For MF, the first year of M&S is included with each licence and is mandatory.[6]
Lapse. Three consequences follow if M&S lapses:
- Back pay. A Standard License whose M&S lapses can only be reinstated if “You must back pay all the Maintenance & Support service fees outstanding”. This does not apply to Subscription Licenses.[1]
- Cloud features. Enhanced functionality “such as the Scan to Cloud or OCR Reader feature” may work only during the M&S period.[1]
- Additions. Active M&S is also required for additions to an existing MF licence.[6]
See Lapsed perpetual M&S must be back-paid to reinstate.
M&S does not include hands-on installation. NG, Pocket and Mobility Print are “designed to be ‘DIY’ products”.[2] The M&S expiry date is stamped into the licence file and shown on the About page.[2] Lost NG licence files are re-issued by PaperCut. MF licence files are re-issued by the PaperCut Partner.[10]
Upgrade Policy and supported versions
PaperCut’s Upgrade Policy, “first introduced in 1999”, sets three rules:[3]
- Minor point releases within a version are always included.
- Customers with current M&S, or an active MF subscription, “will always be able to upgrade to new major versions”.
- If M&S has lapsed, the customer can run the major version covered by its “Support valid until” date and any later minor releases of that version, but not the next major version.
A licence bought “within 3 months of major release” may run the new major version, except for subscription-based features.[3] See Major upgrades require current M&S or an active subscription.
PaperCut supports “M - 2”: the current major version and the two previous ones. Critical Security Updates are applied only to the last revision of each major release.[4]
Evaluation and NFR
An Evaluation License is free and comes without M&S. It “terminates automatically after 40 days from the Effective Date, unless extended by agreement with PaperCut”.[1] PaperCut extends NG trials on request. Extensions for MF trials are handled by the partner.[9] Partners and resellers receive Not For Resale (NFR) licences. An NFR licence is fully functional and valid for 6 months at a time, for showrooms, internal use and demonstrations. It “should never be installed on an end-user, customer, or potential customer site”.[8]
Termination and liability
PaperCut may terminate immediately for breach of the licence, payment, confidentiality or assignment clauses. For other breaches, it may terminate if the breach is not remedied within 14 days of notice. The licensee may terminate if PaperCut does not remedy a breach within 30 days of notice.[1] On termination all licences and M&S end. All copies must be “uninstalled and deleted from all hardware in your possession or control within 14 days”, and PaperCut need not refund amounts already paid.[1]
PaperCut’s liability is capped by type of claim: the Fees paid for the Production License (software claims), the Fees for the M&S year in which the claim arose (M&S claims), or USD 10,000 (other claims). Indirect and consequential loss is excluded.[1] PaperCut indemnifies against infringement claims enforceable in listed countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the EU, Australia and Japan.[1]
Virtualization & partitioning
The EULA does not mention virtualization. Installation is allowed on “one or more computers that are the Authorized Platforms”, and disaster recovery and backup copies are free.[1]
Cloud / BYOL
The EULA covers self-hosted NG and MF only. PaperCut Hive and Pocket have a separate end-user licence and commercial terms (see PaperCut Hive and Pocket subscriptions).
Out of scope
This article does not cover the Contract Details and reseller agreements, which are not public, the Support Policies document, privacy terms, or the country-specific Australian Consumer Law provisions beyond their existence.