Windows XP Home OEM license.

CougTek

CougTek

Hairy Aussie
Joined
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I remember I read that someone wrote, on this forum, that Microsoft's license for their OEM copy of Windows allow it to be sold with any piece of hardware, not just with a whole new computer system. Problem is : I can't find the thread where it was written and much less where it is on Microsoft's web site. And I need the link to MS' OEM license regarding hardware requirements now.

Help would be apppreciated.
 
Sorry Coug, I don't have the official verbiage. But, my distributor won't sell it to me for just buying any piece of hardware. It needs to look like I'm building a system, so motherboards is usually a good way of going, or buying an enclosure and something else. I just order certain pieces of hardware and WindowsXP at the same time.
 
Found!
4. SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION
4.1. If the enclosed Software Unit includes a Microsoft desktop operating system program, MS grants to you a non-exclusive right to distribute each Software Unit, provided it is distributed accompanied with either a fully assembled computer system or non-peripheral computer hardware component. A fully assembled computer system shall consist of at least a central processing unit, a motherboard, a hard drive, a power supply and a case.
4.2. If the enclosed Software Unit includes a Microsoft application or server program, MS grants to you a non-exclusive right to distribute each Software Unit, provided it is distributed to the end user accompanied only with a fully assembled computer system.
4.3. Each Software Unit may only be distributed to an end user pursuant to the end user license agreement that accompanies the Software Unit.
Click to expand...
So it means we can get it with any non-peripheral computer hardware component. Now, what is a non-peripheral computer component? IMO, a CPU or motherboard would be ok, but what about a memory stick or a lonely hard drive?
 
The more I think about it, the more I think they meant an external peripheral computer component, like a printer. Anything fitting inside the enclosure should do.
 
Thanks for the link Coug.

Usually I can get away with just motherboards, but if it is something else, then a combination helps. For example:
Enclosure and CPU
HDD and CD-RW

Motherboards and CPUs seem to be a dead give away that a system is being built. Besides, who just buys a CPU from a reseller? Most end-users wouldn't know what to do with. I really think that it depends on your distributor and sales person.
 
it's perfectly legal to sell an oem copy of windows with A SCREW - it can be used to attach a card inside the pc. i actually verified this with microsoft.
 
honold said:
it's perfectly legal to sell an oem copy of windows with A SCREW - it can be used to attach a card inside the pc. i actually verified this with microsoft.
Click to expand...

:mrgrn:
 
It astonishes me that people so often get confused between two entirely different concepts:

Legal is what the law says. Law is made by the properly elected representatives of the people within the confines of the constitution.

Endorsed by an EULA is what a particular individual citizen or corporate body happens to write down on some paper. It may or may not be legal, it may or may not be enforcable under the law, it may or may not have any relevance at all to that which is "legal" or "illegal".

It is, in fact, perfectly legal to do absolutely anything you want with a copy of Windows, saving only those things that are specifically prohibited by law. You cannot, for example, use it to bludgeon your accountant to death (because that is prohibited by the law against murder); you cannot throw it out your car window (because that is prohibited by the law against littering); with certain exceptions for fair useage, you cannot reverse-engineer or copy it (because that is restricted by the copyright laws); and you cannot use it to strangle your dog (because that would be to break the laws on animal cruelty).

Your are perfectly entitled to sell OEM software without bothering to incluse even so much as a screw with it. There is absolutely nothing illegal about that. However, Micro$oft are then perfectly entitled to refuse to sell you any more copies of it, and to hound you with frivolous nonsense suits which will soon mount up into something which you are unable to defend yourself against (because they can always afford more and better lawyers than you can) and which make it impossible for you to earn your living.
 
If Tannin would bother getting off his high-horse and condescend to address the real world issues instead, he might have told you that it seems to be generally understood that the key hardware components are:

Mainboard
CPU
Hard drive

Micro$oft change their policy on this matter constantly. We get revised policies come into effect about once every six months. They range from almost complete open slather at the one extreme, to complete-system-only at the other. Most of the time though, it is with "substantial hardware" - i.e., motherboard, CPU, or hard drive. Case and PSU might just qualify.
 
In line with Tea's comments, the resellers I've dealt with generally sell the OEM copies of Windows with the purchase of either a motherboard or a hard drive. I've never inquired about buying just a CPU as I prefer to get them from the same source in case there are problems.

- Fushigi
 
i was using the term 'legal' in a general sense, as to denote 'endorsed by the eula'. were you simply waiting at the keyboard for something to get upset about?

call microsoft themselves. i did. they told me it was perfectly LEGAL to sell copies of xp with pci screws.
 
Tannin (note the definition for the word) was not upset when he made that statement, he just tends to have an astringent personality. His flat-mate Tony is worse (that is why he doesn't post anymore), but his other flat-mate Tea is much better. Her personality is much more realistic (why do I hear Kristi snickering?).
 
I ordered an MS Action Pack subscription the other day. You get a copy of win2k Adv Server with a 5 seat CAL, 5 licenses for XP Pro and 5 licenses for OfficeXP Pro, Visio 2002, 1 of Exchange Server, among other things. And 3 quarterly updates. Of course all software is not for distribution and only for internal business use and other tasks such as education, testing etc.
 
Just remember that it is a 1 year subscription Coug. Still great value for money IMO.

Hmm what a strange quote you have of me :o

"Pradeep_frontbottom wrote:"
 
Oh yeah :) I forgot about that. I thought the phpBB got screwed up during the transfer. No worries. Did you get a subscription yourself? I looked on the Canadian site and they don't appear to have the same promotion.
 
I am really tempted, but since it would be for the company, I have to talk about it to the other manager I'm in with. 299U$ = ~475$CDN, not bad at all.

Let's say that my finger is hovering over the mouse button to click on the "click here to purchase" link on Microsoft's web site.
 
everybody considering this actually provides ms solutions to 3rd party customers? and doesn't already have exchange/etc?
 
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