How can they harvest COA from OEM machines?

[paulsiu]

In the Feb 2009 of PC World, I read the following article:

http://www.pcworld.com/busines...ht_for_windows_xp.html

I am not going to go into whether this is fair or not, but it is my understanding that OEM license is tied to the motherboard. Microsoft has indicate in the past that when you swap the motherboard, the license does not transfer to to the new machine. There are people who activated using the COA, but that is on the discretion of the Microsoft Operator.

Why in the world would people buy a machine for the COA then?

Paul

 

[mechBgon]

Good question. And when I read this...

Buying a used PC is also an inexpensive way for price-sensitive users to secure an XP license, Daoud said. The other alternative would be to buy a new business-class PC with Vista and then downgrade it to XP, which can be expensive.

...I was all, "riiiiiiight" 😛 Evidently they don't realize that the XP Pro downgrade is free when they have OEM Vista Business, not to mention it's reversible if/when they change their minds.

 

[tcsenter]

The primary context of the article is the perfectly legal market for used computers. This might include reselling as-is, or after doing minor maintenance or upgrades such as reloading the original software, applying software updates, and adding more RAM. All perfectly legal and Microsoft approved.

Harvesting COAs is done when corporate/academic/business customers order a large number of computers with Windows pre-installed from Dell or whoever, but the customer has no intention of using the OS that was pre-installed. So they wipe Windows XP and install Windows 2000 per the open/volume licensing plan they are already paying for, which allows downgrade rights. Unscrupulous persons working either for the middleman IT contractor, consulting firm, distributor, or the client itself will separate the COA stickers from each system and resell them, with or without any other OS components included with each system (e.g. install media, manual, et. al.).

COA harvesting peaks shortly after a new OS ships, then gradually declines as more customers migrate from the older OS to the newer OS pre-installed on the computers they purchase. COA harvesting and resale is illegal, at least in the US. And by illegal, I mean people can get prison time for it now (if done on a large enough scale). Its not just a civil lawsuit thing, anymore.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: tcsenter
COA harvesting peaks shortly after a new OS ships, then gradually declines as more customers migrate from the older OS to the newer OS pre-installed on the computers they purchase. COA harvesting and resale is illegal, at least in the US. And by illegal, I mean people can get prison time for it now (if done on a large enough scale). Its not just a civil lawsuit thing, anymore.

Which is highly unconstitutional. The people never gave the gov't the right to grant private businesses the right to essentially print money.

 

[pcgeek11]

Money?

COA doesn't equal money.

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
COA doesn't equal money.

Ever since Larry watched a whole season of Boston Legal once, he never misses an opportunity to slip into any discussion remotely tangent to software licensing and declare as unconstitutional any licensing model that actually imposes conditions and limitations.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
COA doesn't equal money.

Ever since Larry watched a whole season of Boston Legal once, he never misses an opportunity to slip into any discussion remotely tangent to software licensing and declare as unconstitutional any licensing model that actually imposes conditions and limitations.

lulz

 

[firewall]

LOL @ tcsenter's post. 😀

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
COA doesn't equal money.

Ever since Larry watched a whole season of Boston Legal once, he never misses an opportunity to slip into any discussion remotely tangent to software licensing and declare as unconstitutional any licensing model that actually imposes conditions and limitations.

Best description I've seen so far... Would make a nice sig 🙂