Wolfgang Walter <[email protected]> writes:
>do not keep a copy. As you can do with microsoft windows - if you bought it
>(and did not licensed it from microsoft). I.a. it is not necessary to provide
Wrong. You buy a license from Microsoft and a media (CD/DVD). Read the
end user license agreement (EULA). You're allowed to resell the media
but not the license. "Unfortunately" for Microsoft, this distinction
is illegal in free countries like Germany [1]. So M$ lost in court and
you can legally buy "OEM" versions for a fraction of the "boxed" price
and resell your licenses.
AFAIK, in the U.S. you cannot resell the license legally once you
accepted the EULA (i.e. opened the box). And dealers must not resell
unbundled OEM software.
Now, who's living in a free country again?
Regards
Henning
[1] The current german governement is actively trying to change this
part of the german law. That's what you get for electing morons who
might look good on TV. At this point, we're already on U.S. levels.
--
Dipl.-Inf. (Univ.) Henning P. Schmiedehausen -- Geschaeftsfuehrer
INTERMETA - Gesellschaft fuer Mehrwertdienste mbH [email protected]
Am Schwabachgrund 22 Fon.: 09131 / 50654-0 [email protected]
D-91054 Buckenhof Fax.: 09131 / 50654-20
On Sun, 5 Jan 2003 21:46:37 +0000 (UTC), Henning P. Schmiedehausen
wrote:
>Wrong. You buy a license from Microsoft and a media (CD/DVD). Read
>the
>end user license agreement (EULA). You're allowed to resell the
>media
>but not the license. "Unfortunately" for Microsoft, this distinction
>is illegal in free countries like Germany [1]. So M$ lost in court
>and
>you can legally buy "OEM" versions for a fraction of the "boxed"
>price
>and resell your licenses.
>AFAIK, in the U.S. you cannot resell the license legally once you
>accepted the EULA (i.e. opened the box). And dealers must not resell
>unbundled OEM software.
>Now, who's living in a free country again?
We are. Freedom includes the freedom to set whatever terms you want
on what other people do with what is yours. Of course, it also
includes the freedom not to buy things that come with restrictive
licenses.
DS