I think you need to read this: http://www.bsa.org/usa/antipiracy/. I became aware of BSA (Business Software Alliance) about four or five years ago when I was working for a small business and purchased Office 97 for them on eBay. A few weeks after installing it on one of the computers in the office, and registering it, I received a phone call from someone from Microsoft. They informed me someone else had registered the Office 97 that I had purchased on eBay. I presume they had verified that the other registration was an active installation of Office 97 on a computer being used by someone else. They explained that our copy of Office 97 was not legitimate. In other words, I had received an illegitimate copy of the software when I made the purchase on eBay.
During that phone conversation, they told about BSA; it's a no-nonsense organization that has significant power which it uses to aid numerous software makers (Microsoft, Adobe, and many others). They may even make unannounced visits to businesses who have been reported to be engaging in illegal use of software.
They also work in the International arena to stop the selling of illegal copies of software across international borders. Their website provides a means for anyone to report suspected software piracy. I've used it a few times to report email (spam) offering prices so low on software that it's obviously not legitimate. For example, Win XP Pro (full version) for, say, $50.
Not only are illegitmate copies/reproductions of software illegal, so is installing software on more than one computer when the EULA states the software is to be installed on one computer. Read the license agreement with Win XP. Unless you have a corporate license, you'll see that it states it is to be installed on *one* computer. Installing it on more than one violates the license agreement, is illegal, and could get you into legal trouble.
During that phone conversation, they told about BSA; it's a no-nonsense organization that has significant power which it uses to aid numerous software makers (Microsoft, Adobe, and many others). They may even make unannounced visits to businesses who have been reported to be engaging in illegal use of software.
They also work in the International arena to stop the selling of illegal copies of software across international borders. Their website provides a means for anyone to report suspected software piracy. I've used it a few times to report email (spam) offering prices so low on software that it's obviously not legitimate. For example, Win XP Pro (full version) for, say, $50.
Not only are illegitmate copies/reproductions of software illegal, so is installing software on more than one computer when the EULA states the software is to be installed on one computer. Read the license agreement with Win XP. Unless you have a corporate license, you'll see that it states it is to be installed on *one* computer. Installing it on more than one violates the license agreement, is illegal, and could get you into legal trouble.