Microsoft's Guide to accepting donated computer

[Soybomb]

Wow just found this link on slashdot, this is some funny stuff! Read this page.

This is my favorite part:
It is a legal requirement that pre-installed operating systems remain with a machine for the life of the machine. If a company or individual donates a machine to your school, it must be donated with the operating system that was installed on the PC.

Uh oh I'm in legal trouble

 

[Nightfall]

Yup, this law hasn't changed since I have known it.

 

[gopunk]

maybe it's in the law... who knows, i don't have time to read all the laws

btw, this holds for macs, unix, etc. it's not like they're saying this only holds true for windows.

 

[Soybomb]

Perhaps the eula will state that the software license is not transferable to any other machine, but they make it out to be that the software MUST be included with the hardware. I just don't like the wording of it, nor the motivation necessarily. All the school system's I've been involved with are actually pretty strict and watchful about having licenses for all their software.

This essentially is trying to encourage schools to reject donations just because they don't come with their original media? Thats a load of crap I think

 

[rahvin]

<< btw, this holds for macs, unix, etc. it's not like they're saying this only holds true for windows. >>



Aahahahahaha, good one. At least I hope you were trying to be funny and not stupid.

 

[gopunk]

<<

<< btw, this holds for macs, unix, etc. it's not like they're saying this only holds true for windows. >>



Aahahahahaha, good one. At least I hope you were trying to be funny and not stupid. >>




no, i was serious... you can demonize ms all you want, but they're just stating the law as is (assuming the law is true).

 

[rahvin]

<< want, but they're just stating the law as is (assuming the law is true). >>



Assumptions are dangerous things. Do you know what your talking about? If you think there is a law that says you have to include the OS that shipped with hardware with that hardware can you please point to that section of the US code please? Of course after a little digging you will realize that MS's statement is in reference to THEIR EULA that does not allow the reuse of an operating system. It is in fact perfectly legal to donate a computer to anyone without any OS installed. It is only illegality in this would be donating a computer and keeping an OEM version of MS (and only MS) software to install on other computers, this isn't even illegal, it is simply a violation of the EULA and terminates your rights to use the software. Your blind assumption that MS's EULA applies to other operating systems is blatently false.

You just might be trying to post so much that you are putting your foot in your mouth.

 

[gopunk]

Assumptions are dangerous things. Do you know what your talking about? If you think there is a law that says you have to include the OS that shipped with hardware with that hardware can you please point to that section of the US code please? Of course after a little digging you will realize that MS's statement is in reference to THEIR EULA that does not allow the reuse of an operating system. It is in fact perfectly legal to donate a computer to anyone without any OS installed. It is only illegality in this would be donating a computer and keeping an OEM version of MS (and only MS) software to install on other computers, this isn't even illegal, it is simply a violation of the EULA and terminates your rights to use the software. Your blind assumption that MS's EULA applies to other operating systems is blatently false.

listen, i already stated "assuming the law is true". if you doubt what they say, go take it up with them.

You just might be trying to post so much that you are putting your foot in your mouth.

nice to see we're all mature individuals.

 

[ElFenix]

what that says is that if a computer is donated and it has licensed software on it the original media of that software must be donated with it. big deal. thats completely in line with everything else ms has ever done regarding licensing.

 

[rahvin]

<< listen, i already stated "assuming the law is true". if you doubt what they say, go take it up with them. >>



Assuming "the law", WHAT LAW? You made that assumption, it's not what microsoft said.

 

[Czar]

wait a minute, the last pc I bought came with win3.11 and I'v just built around that old pentium90mhz, omg:Q

 

[Entity]

rahvin,

Actually, gopunk appears to be correct here.

Here is what it says on Microsoft's website:



<< It is a legal requirement that pre-installed operating systems remain with a machine for the life of the machine. If a company or individual donates a machine to your school, it must be donated with the operating system that was installed on the PC. >>



Note that it does not say pre-installed MS operating systems, but merely pre-installed operating systems. Therefore, it implies that it is illegal, as gopunk stated earlier, to do the same with a mac, or other manufacturer. That very well may not be the case, but it is the case as Microsoft states it, which is what gp is arguing.

Rob

 

[gopunk]

yes, what entity said. sorry if my earlier posts were confusing... my intended point is what entity just said.

 

[Michael1897]

<< maybe it's in the law... who knows, i don't have time to read all the laws

btw, this holds for macs, unix, etc. it's not like they're saying this only holds true for windows. >>



So many laws, so little time....

 

[Lucky]

<< rahvin,

Actually, gopunk appears to be correct here.

Here is what it says on Microsoft's website:



<< It is a legal requirement that pre-installed operating systems remain with a machine for the life of the machine. If a company or individual donates a machine to your school, it must be donated with the operating system that was installed on the PC. >>



Note that it does not say pre-installed MS operating systems, but merely pre-installed operating systems. Therefore, it implies that it is illegal, as gopunk stated earlier, to do the same with a mac, or other manufacturer. That very well may not be the case, but it is the case as Microsoft states it, which is what gp is arguing.

Rob >>





I think what rahvin might be arguing is that gopunk might be wrong that there is a "law" against it. Its clear that there is a "legal requirement", but I dont neccesarily think thats the same as a "law". Does that make any sense?

 

[Mday]

it says an operating system that WAS installed on that machine.

it says nothing about the operating system being THE ORIGINAL or the OS at that time...

just install linux on it, donate it...

or install linux or it, put windows on it, and you can donate the machine with either OS on it, since ONE of them WAS installed...

anyway, wtf cares.

 

[astriy]

<< It is a legal requirement >>



Could be interpreted in many ways. Yeah it's legal, and we require it. Doesn't mean it's a law.

 

[Cyberian]

<< << It is a legal requirement that pre-installed operating systems remain with a machine for the life of the machine. If a company or individual donates a machine to your school, it must be donated with the operating system that was installed on the PC. >> >>

This statement is a bit ambiguous.
Does the OS have to remain installed on the HDD, or does a copy of the OS just have to be available?

 

[rahvin]

Look the ONLY legal requirement is one of that applies ONLY to MS software. Gopunk made the assertion that this legal clause in MS's EULA applies to other OS's like linux (and that it is a law). That is blatently false. MS is deliberately trying to be vauge here so that conclusions like the one drawn by gopunk are made. There is NO legal requirement under ANY law that a computer must be sold or donated with an OS. It's just typical MS FUD.

MS accomplishes two goals with FUD like this. They attempt to prevent people from donating old computers where the person kept the OEM OS, AND they discourage non-profits and schools from using donated computers (regardless of OS) for fear of an MS software audit.

It's as plain as day to anyone that has read a couple EULA's.

 

[Lithium381]

i don't get it....i just reformat the things then scrap them :-D but i'm just a private type of guy, wonder if that matters....

 

[ultimatebob]

Microsoft is just using an overly-complicated explanation for a long-standing software licensing rule: If the computer transfers ownership with pre-installed software, the installation media and software licenses need to be transferred along with the computer. This has almost always been the case in the past, and is pretty easy to circumvent. Just format the hard drives on the computer before donating them, so the school or charity has to buy their own licensed copy of Windows to put on it. Or, better yet, install Linux on them, and give the students a chance to try an alternative to Microsoft products. It they don't like it, they can always install their own OS.