Traditionally, firms pay for new software initially with large licence fees, and then spend more money and time trying to install the new applications on their computers and training employees to use the new features.

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They're intended for network connectivity and to service as physical licence keys for software.

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In addition, the Committee said the OFT had been slow to introduce postcode-matching software to improve its checking of credit licence holders.

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At the time, selling software to large companies was sometimes likened to drug dealing, because once a firm installed a piece of software, it had to pay a stream of licence fees for upgrades, security patches and technical support.

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And software suppliers are preparing for a different revenue model: instead of chunks of licence fees at point-of-sale, monthly-usage fees will trickle in from their customers.

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Henry Butcher acknowledges that the Dome does not own the Play Zone software, but says it is hoping the games' creators will agree to licence them to new owners.

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