License Agreement

[Shuttleboy]

Just wondering exactly what the rules and laws are regarding installing WinXP on multiple machines. If I got a second machine, would I need to buy a second OS?

 

[lowtech1]

You are only allow to instal it only 1 machine, and if it is an OEM version then only on the original machine that it came with.

 

[Shuttleboy]

So when people buy OEM software, they aren't supposed to install it on their own machines since it didn't come with their particular machine?

 

[bozo1]

OEM versions are 'supposed' to be only sold with a new machine. However, lately this has turned into meaning that it can be sold with any hardware. Some places will let you buy it if you purchase a 5-cent screw. You are legal to buy it. The seller is legal to sell it if he sells it with hardware.

 

[Shuttleboy]

Legal to buy I know, but am I legal to install?

 

[Lord Evermore]

Legal, yes in all likelihood. "allowed" as defined by Microsoft, no.

Microsoft's license agreements have been proven to be nearly unenforceable when it comes to things like this. About the only licensing issue that you can have a problem with is installing it on multiple machines. Anything past that, they can't really do anything to you. Any company that they sell OEM copies to can legally sell it to you, and you can legally install it. Microsoft doesn't seem to have made the contracts that are used for OEM licensing to resellers say that they can't sell it that way, but they frown on it and may use pricing tactics to help prevent it, but then that gets them in trouble with monopoly issues.

Legally, once you pay for a license for the software, you can do whatever you want with it, except install it multiple times since you only paid for one license. OEMs of course make it hard to install the OS on any other machine by not even giving you a disc, but any other OEM version disc should take the OEM license key from that machine if you want to install it on another machine later.

Microsoft COULD come after you and sue you, and they'd probably lose, but you'd go bankrupt fighting it and they aren't interested in a single person installing the OS on a different machine as long as it's only one at a time using it.

 

[lowtech1]

It is best just to paid MS for the licensing and go on with life. Or download a copy of Linux, such as Mandrake, RH, Ark, Elx, Debian, or Knoppix, and you don?t have to worry about the cryptic licensing.

 

[Lord Evermore]

When I buy an OEM copy, I consider myself to have paid for it. I just didn't buy it at retail prices, I got it from someone who legally paid Microsoft for it, and I'm paying them what they want to resell it for. If Microsoft doesn't want that to happen, then they don't need to sell OEM versions to places like Newegg who aren't selling fully-built systems.

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: lowtech
It is best just to paid MS for the licensing and go on with life. Or download a copy of Linux, such as Mandrake, RH, Ark, Elx, Debian, or Knoppix, and you don?t have to worry about the cryptic licensing.

Or just ignore the licensing, install oem and forget about it