Selling Windows Licenses

[iq6886]

Me and my classmates have access to msdn at our college & each of us gets 1 xp pro & 1 vista business product key to use…

We don’t intend to use it for ourselves, SO can we sell it???

Hope to get replies from some senior members…

I don’t know whether these are oem license or retail license… So cn anybody tell that also???

[techie_007]

I dont think you can sell the msdn licenses.

Well, I did some research:

Explore Licensing Options | MSDN Subscriptions

MSDN Subscription Licensing

MSDN Subscriptions are licensed to individuals who may install the provided software without restriction. Software provided through MSDN Subscriptions is licensed for design, development, test and demonstration of your applications.

Which means NO commercial use etc which implies NO selling

Licensing FAQs:

MSDN Subscriptions FAQ: Subscription benefits, access, licensing, more | MSDN Subscriptions

The MSDN End User License Agreement (EULA) allows each person with an MSDN license to use all of the software that is included in the subscription for development, test, and demonstration purposes only.

There are multiple products in the subscription. Can I give some of them to another end user?

Everyone who uses products within MSDN subscriptions must have an MSDN subscriptions license. The contents of MSDN subscriptions cannot be shared with non-subscribers or subscribers with a lower subscription level.

May I use MSDN Subscriptions software to install software for day-to-day (production) use?

No, but with one exception. Software in your MSDN subscription comes with a development, test, and demonstration license. Examples of prohibited use include:

* You may not install Exchange Server from your MSDN subscription and use it to send and receive personal or business-related e-mail.

* You may not install Windows NT Server from your MSDN subscription and use it to host your own personal or business Web site.

* One exception is that the MSDN Premium subscription comes with one license to Desktop Applications (typically on blue discs) such as Microsoft Office Professional 2003, Visio Standard 2003, and Project Standard 2003 for business use directly related to the design, development, test, and/or demonstration of software projects. For example, you can use Project Standard to manage a development project, use Visio Standard to diagram your application, etc. Project Professional and Visio Professional are included in MSDN Premium subscriptions for development, testing, and demonstration purposes, however they may not be used for such business use.

* In addition, one copy of Office Professional 2003 can be used for general business use, unrelated to development and testing. Again, only persons with an MSDN Premium Subscription license can use these Microsoft Office products in this manner.

What do you mean by "production?" What are examples of test and development work?

By “production” we mean any activity that is personal, for general business use, or not directly related to the testing and development of software applications.

Examples of (prohibited) production use include:

* Installing Windows 98 to play games for entertainment.

* Installing Windows 2000 Server and Exchange Server to set up an e-mail system that you use to send personal and/or business-related e-mail.

You may not use your MSDN subscription as a substitute for purchasing a retail license for an operating system if you do more than develop and test on your computer.

Examples of development and testing use include:

* Testing to see if a program in development works equally well with various different operating systems.

* Designing and writing a program to assist with internal order procurement and distribution.

So thats pretty much a no.

And this ones applies to you probably:

I’ve had an MSDN subscription for some time now and have many old discs that are duplicates or that I simply don’t use. Can I give them away or sell them?

No. You may only sell or transfer your MSDN Subscription as a whole, and you must transfer all materials received with the subscription to the new owner.

[ultimabasher]

Agreed for the rule but he may save some souls from piracy and even earn some money by doing that.

[47Shailesh]

They will be OEM License. I doubt if they will be usefull for other.

[techie_007]

@ultimabasher

Agreed for the rule but he may save some souls from piracy and even earn some money by doing that.

How exactly do you propose he will save some souls from piracy?

You DO realize that if the license is sold against the terms and conditions of the software/MSDN license, it WILL not be considered a genuine copy=> implies it will be considered a pirated copy

So he will actually be spreading piracy and making money on it too

Not to mention the buyer who will be paying for a copy which wouldnt be genuine!

EDIT: Everyone can just go and start selling MSDN licensed OS copies. They wouldn’t be genuine anymore though, they will all be considered pirated as well.

[6pack]

^^ +1 infact the case against him will become rock solid since he is gaining money from license which is not to be sold to other people and which does not belong to him in the first place. Remember in first post he said it is his colleges msdn subscription. like techie_007 said he will be considered a pirate.

[ultimabasher]

okay but are they going to track via the MAC address or what?

How will they come to know that it has been used on a different system

[techie_007]

@ultimabasher

okay but are they going to track via the MAC address or what?

How will they come to know that it has been used on a different system

Tracking him and the question whether hes doing something legal are two different things

• what about the people he sells them to? What do you think they are going to do if they find out what they paid money for is a illegal copy (Assume they call MS for support and MS looks at the serial and tells them its an MSDN copy - for testing only, which may ONLY be used by MSDN members licensed for the same ) They can very well complain to MS/file a complaint against him as well. Thats how they will track him

[iq6886]

In that case … i consider i cannot sell it but can maybe gift it to a friend…

[techie_007]

@iq6886

In that case … i consider i cannot sell it but can maybe gift it to a friend…

no use. Still becomes a pirated copy if a non-msdn member uses it

So let it be and let ur friends use the version he already has

[Gurpartap_Singh]

Tell me which college. I will join there next year.

[i_max2k2]

I think all cal state universities have that for sure (mine is a cal state), I also got hold of them, one of them is being used in India in my house, no problems!

Also these licenses can be installed on any machine wat so ever, so installing it on any one comp wont void the terms, selling is another thing though!

[techie_007]

@i_max2k2

I think all cal state universities have that for sure (mine is a cal state), I also got hold of them, one of them is being used in India in my house, no problems!

Also these licenses can be installed on any machine wat so ever, so installing it on any one comp wont void the terms, selling is another thing though!

Good point. But while we are being picky about it, I still say it would void the terms though, which clearly state “Demo purposes only” and “NO commercial/home use”. rest is the TS’s call (the gifting part i mean ;))

[iq6886]

@ Gurpartap Singh : DU