[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

quote:

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And if you aren't trashing your old pc, and who does that when there are always family, friends, and home networks in need of backup computers, using the OS on the new pc isn't legit.

Only if you Subscribe to that unenforceable EULA gobleygook. It is not a legally binding contract in any way. I purchased the software, I can put it on as many of my computers as I want. Nothing "illegit" about it. Software is purchased by a user. Not by an individual computer.

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Actually, there are still copyright issues, even if EULA's are held unenforceable (as far as I know, they have never been challenged in court - until they have been, one cannot say for certain if the courts will hold EULA's as binding contracts or not) - if you purchase a book from the bookstore, you can read it at your house, you can let your neighbors read it at their house (or your house), but you can't read it at your house while you let your neighbors read it at their houses, as a book couldn't physically be in two places at once. As I recall (although I don't remember the source, so this may be false) the ruling on such readily copiable things as software, was that anything you would be capable of and permitted to do with a book, you are permitted to do with software - which means (assuming EULA's are held unenforceable in court, that is) you can install a single purchased OS on two machines, provided they aren't ever used simultaneously, as one physical book couldn't be in two places at once. Thus, you can't purchase one copy of Windows XP, install it on your custom machine (1), give your custom machine (1) away to your sister without doing anything to it, build another (2) and install your copy of Windows XP on it - the first machine is no longer under your control, so you can't be sure they won't be used simultaneously.