[Pilot_51]

That 24-hour rule is a false law that keeps software pirates in business.

Is there a 24-hour rule under the copyright law that allows a user to download a program and use it for 24 hours to determine if they want to continue using it - and then after the 24-hour period they have to delete it or buy it?
No. The 24-hour rule is an urban legend created and circulated to justify violations of copyright law on the Internet. Under copyright law, "[a]nyone who violates any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner [reproduction, adaptation, distribution to the public, public performance, public display, rental for commercial advantage or importation] is an infringer of the copyright or the right of the author..." Section 501(a) of the Copyright Act. Infringement may occur by downloading software, uploading software, making software available for download, and transmitting software files. Whenever the distribution of a computer program occurs without the consent of the software publisher, it is a direct infringement of the copyright law. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a program, even for only 24 hours, is illegal. The amount of time is not an exempting factor.

Source: SIIA Anti-Piracy - Anti-Piracy FAQ