Based on Cisco’s software release roadmap (now End-of-Life), these are the recommended final images:
Legally, the software license stays with the original owner. However, Cisco generally does not pursue individuals for legacy IOS usage on end-of-life hardware, provided you are not distributing it. Many admins perform a "software recovery" from the switch itself – but you still need a legal source. cisco 2960-24tc-l ios download
The "Plus" series, which supports newer IOS trains like 15.2(7)E. 2. Finding the Official Download Site cisco 2960-24tc-l ios download