Not to argue, but can you cite a source? I didn't find anything on that topic and want to know where to look.
I don't think there is a source, but that's how it was explained in 4th, and I don't see any reason it will be changed in 5th. We may get more about it in the new hacking book, but I doubt it.
Well, that's head scratching. If it's restricted like that it poses problems when expounded out into the game world.
Can you run the same autosoft program then on different drones, one at a time?
Can a the software be used on a new drone after the first drone was destroyed?
HOW does the software know that other copies of itself are running elsewhere on other drones that are silent running/ aren't in the same WAN?
If the software somehow knows when it's running simultaneously on multiple drones and copy-protection code prevents function.. then the code must be talking to itself between the drones across the matrix. Why then are the megacorps not using that unjammable/undetectable communication to report back to Big Brother and omnisciently track every drone doing anything using their software?
Still, the rules appear say nothing one way or the other. I suppose the responsible thing for a player is to assume the more restrictive possibility and expect to have to buy multiple copies of the same program if there's nothing out there in the rulebook that leans in favor of a "buying a single autosoft gives you a license to use it on all your drones" assumption.