Use of pre-owned licenses

Question

Use of pre-owned licenses

Anonymous

Hi all,

i am looking for experiences with using pre-owned licenses. It seems possible to buy and sell licenses (volume licenses) based on the UsedSoft-Oracle case, so basically there is a possibility to buy "2nd hand licenses" for much less then new.

Anybody any (legal) views on this?

Thanks,

Uppie

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2 answers

Answer 1

This is a somewhat belated response as I have only just come across your post.

My suggestion is that you speak with a member of staff at our business, Discount-Licensing Ltd, which is notable for being the company that set up and launched the EU secondary market in Microsoft volume software licensing.

Website is www.discount-licensing.com - Tel.no.: 0845 475 5959.

Trust that this helps.

Answer 2

Hi,

We don't give legal advice here.

We can give you general rules about Licensing, as you are not specific in your question.

If the Computer/Laptop came with the Windows Operating System preinstalled (Dell, HP, Acer, etc), that Product Key that came with the Laptop is for the preinstalled OEM License and is non-transferable.

The same applies to System Builder's OEM Licenses.

The OEM License/Product Key (preinstalled Operating Systems on Dell, HP, etc machines and System Builder's OEM Licenses) is tied to the first machine it is installed on and dies when that machine dies.

Only Retail Operating System License, that you buy and install yourself, are allowd to be transferred to another machine.

And Retail Licenses can also only be installed on one machine at any particular time.

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This information may assist you too:

http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en-gb/licensing/sblicensing/pages/licensing\_faq.aspx#fbid=iePP5a9JaWJ

Q. If my customer asks me to upgrade a PC with new hardware components, when is a new operating system needed? When would the PC be considered "new"?

A. Generally, an end user can upgrade or replace all of the hardware components on a computer—except the motherboard—and still retain the licence for the original Microsoft OEM operating system software. If the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created. Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred to the new computer, and the licence of new operating system software is required.

If the motherboard is replaced because it is defective, you do not need to acquire a new operating system license for the PC as long as the replacement motherboard is the same make/model or the same manufacturer's replacement/equivalent, as defined by the manufacturer's warranty.

If you reinstall the OEM License on another Computer, you have replaced the Motherboard, haven't you?.

It gets complicated, doesn't it?

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This should assist you too:

"Find End User License Terms for Microsoft Software Licensed by Microsoft or the Computer Manufacturer"

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/UseTerms/default.aspx

Cheers.

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Use of pre-owned licenses

2 answers