[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]
>>> That's good. There's a guy on the Torbay Freecycle who often advertises >>> PCs, funnily enough they seem to come with Windows XP and Office 2003. >>> Either he's loaded and giving away legal copies he's paid for out of his >>> own pocket or he's doing something naughty. >>> Fair enough. I guess the choices are: a) Leave him alone. b) Contact him and ask if he needs help with licensing and/or installing linux. c) Call F.A.S.T. (but don't tell them about that hooky copy of manic minor on a c90 I bought for 28p from that bloke outside john menzies with the dog on a bit of string). >>> I haven't yet e-mailed him to suggest he gives out PCs with at least >>> OpenOffice.org, but I must admit I am tempted. >>> Refer to the guide above ;) >>> I mean, what he is doing in general (i.e. rebuilding PCs and giving them >>> away to people who could make use of them) is great, but if he's giving >>> away >>> pirated copies with them then he is leaving himself at risk and possibly >>> others who get the PCs with dodgy software on them. >> If he's installing pirated copies of windows then you'd think he knows his game. Mind you, I did once meet a chap in a computer shop in Bideford whom had just had his entire setup confiscated and was facing some fairly steep legal issues. He'd been pirating and selling PC games and software, and had been sticking those little gold address labels on them with his name, address and telephone number on. So people could get back to him when they wanted more. >> Perhaps the PC's he advertises came with the software in the first >> place. Personally I have two licenses for XP, one for office 2003 and >> a full license for a Dreamweaver suite that I'm not using, and I gave >> away two licenses for XP last year. Once I get around to reinstalling >> my compaq lappy, I'll have another spare license. As far as I >> understand it, if you've got the label then you've got the license >> (although correct me if I need it, I've never attempted to keep up >> with the mechinations at Richmond). > > That's what I thought at first, but I gave away some old computer bits > recently and he e-mailed me asking if he could have them (as it turns out > I'd already let someone else have them). He said that he builds PCs from > old bits and then gives them away. It would be sensible to give them away with linux on, but then he'd have the nightmare of which window manager? which distro runs on this gear etc etc. Not such an issue, but to a "windows man". . . I think he'd just stop giving PC's away. Assuming that he is installing a pirated version of windows on them, that is. > Now the problem is with the Microsoft OEM EULA, the license is tied into the > hardware, so building a PC out of bits doesn't really count unless it was > already tied to key components such as the motherboard (the licences are > tied to things like the motherboard so if it is replaced, it is classed as a > new computer). Not to mention with Windows activation, it ties the software > into more than one component and you're only allowed to change so many > components without having to re-activate. > > So too, if you're giving away software which is an OEM version, unless > you're giving it away with the complete machine you are in theory breaking > the EULA. > > The label is attached to the machine, the licence 'dies' with the machine, > so if the machine is disposed off, blows up, whatever, then the licence > becomes invalid. It can't be transferred. > > On the other hand, if it's a FULL retail boxed copy (i.e. something you'd > get from the likes of PC World) then you can transfer the licence to someone > else (or another machine) as long as everything is transferred over and a > copy does not remain. I didn't know that - when I've activated windows on the telephone before they just seem to ask how many PC's are running that copy of windows. Then give you the code to activate windows. Thanks for the info though, I'll have to be a little more careful (not that I plan on using my windows licenses for much longer) Mind you, I don't think that any of the licenses arent actually running on the wring boxes, although the bits inside might have changed a fair bit. I guess thats a grey area really. I mean, who would buy windows if they had to get a new copy because they'd upgraded thier network card or something? > I know, I don't like it either, but it's what Microsoft specify. > > It annoys me greatly because when I eventually upgrade the wife's PC, I'll > have to buy a new copy of Windows 7 for her (as her current Windows 7 > upgrade is now allocated to her OEM copy of Windows XP, so it too becomes > pretty much an OEM copy of Windows 7 which can't be transferred). If she'd > got a full retail boxed copy of XP and then upgraded that to Windows 7 then > as a whole it could be transferred to another PC. She play World of Warcraft too then? It's the only thing that stops me running Linux on my two favorite PC's. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html