Windows 7 Licensing and Product Keys

[sync]

I can walk into any computer store an buy an OEM

You typically need to buy a piece of hardware as well (SD card will do) and they are actively trying to stop this practice.

Yes, Microsoft tried to stop this here in Germany as well. But regularly failed in court.
In Germany an OEM license is equal to retail license. Probably in the complete EU as well. For licensing you have to consider the local laws.

[amspire]

I can walk into any computer store an buy an OEM

The weird thing about the way the OEM license is written for Windows XP (haven't checked later Windows), the company that purchased and installed the OEM license had to sell the computer to a second customer. You couldn't install the OEM license and use it within your company.

So officially Dell couldn't use an Dell notebook within Dell since they had OEM licenses installed. I doubt that anyone took notice of this detail.

[Kilrah]

Yes, Microsoft tried to stop this here in Germany as well. But regularly failed in court.
In Germany an OEM license is equal to retail license. Probably in the complete EU as well. For licensing you have to consider the local laws.

It's pretty logical the government has nothing to do with that. Whatever you do with your purchased copy isn't "illegal" i.e. against a government-instated law, it may not be anything else than a breach of contract.

If you violate your EULA you'll never get the cops to gome and get you, BUT as you're breaking the terms of the license you accepted to by using the product then if MS want to sue you they can and would likely win. It's simply only between you and them.

[sync]

If you violate your EULA you'll never get the cops to gome and get you, BUT as you're breaking the terms of the license you accepted to by using the product then if MS want to sue you they can and would likely win. It's simply only between you and them.

No Microsoft won't win. The terms in the EULA which restricts OEM license to a piece of hardware are simply not valid. That's the point: EULA terms which are against the law are not valid.
The same is for selling used licenses. It's allowed by law. The manufacture isn't allowed to restrict the selling of used licenses. That would be illegal.

[SeanB]

A nasty is that MS has stopped supplying the keys with a laminated top protection, giving just a paper label with the 3M VHB adhesive and the "void" precut tears in it. Thus after a month or two the OEM serial key will wear off from the label, so if the HDD goes south you will look and find the key is unreadable.

The OEM keys are easy to get, just buy a MS mouse and keyboard, and this qualifies you. Of course they also suffer from the BLACK SCREEN OF FAIL every so often, especially on a computer that has not been turned on for a few months. Bit of a pain if you actually do have a volume key for Windows and Office, and it is paid up to date.