As long as you got the dvd and a legit serial number that hasn't been activated or registered, you should be fine.

More of an ethical call I would say. If the version of windows has never been activated, and you are not using it for commercial purposes, I don't think it violates the TOU. However, it was sold at the lower price because it's intended to help a student afford the software.

ianal

the discount was given at purchase.

the discount was only applicable to students

a student purchased the software.

it is ligit software, with water-marked (i presume) media and a valid serial number that has been purchased ligitmately.

it is only going to be installed on any one PC at a time.

i don't see any issue with you installing it. microsoft got a sale they may not have got (so the discount was justified). and as far as i recall though many copyright owners like people to think they're buying license not the actual software i've never heard of a case where this has been successfully tested in court. especially not a case that only involved one person.

do it. ianal

relatedly, i've bought win7 at the preorder price (~£40, yay me) it's a full copy (not OEM. i presume the same is true had i used a student discount) and i would be completly within my rights (UK) to sell or give it away when i recieve it. i don't see much of a difference as i got a discount for being early then if i had got the discount for being a student.

so if a student purchases it in their final year they wouldn't be able to use it after they leave school/college/uni???

so would still have to purchase the software at full price, only now they've paid a discounted price as well!!???

Has and maintain? What if the buyer is in his last year of college, will it become illegal after he graduates? That's a bit confusing. How does one maintain a student status after school?

For what its worth, I just preordered Win 7 Ultimate from Newegg for $175, along woth another 4 gig of memory.

TDG

it's this sort of crap that makes me wonder why and what i'm paying all this money for.

First, let's lay the cards out on the table.

The licensing agreement from Microsoft states that student-discounted software must be used by the student, as the discount is educational in nature. This license is non-transferable, and requires that, when the student's status is no longer student, they then cease use of the software and purchase a full license, either by purchasing a full retail copy, not an upgrade, since the original software's license has essentially expired, or by purchasing a computer bundled with the software.

So legally, if you're not a student, or no longer a student, it is illegal for you to use that software. Period. No gray areas.

Now, if it's actually been activated on another machine, and since you'll have to in order to reactivate it, you call Microsoft to give you the activation key... That's fraud. If it hasn't been activated, you could easily just install and activate the software.

All of this aside... If you activate it without being fraudulent, they aren't going to check on you. Not on one end user. They have bigger fish to fry. Now if you were doing something such as cracking the software to redistribute it, with or without financial gain on your part, they might decide to track you down, but no records are really being held. There's no part of the activation process of student-discounted software that requires you to prove your status as a student. Other than licensing, and perhaps feature set, there's no real difference.

Can you do it and get away with it? Yes. Is anyone you know likely to care? No. Are you likely to get caught and fined or something along those lines? Absolutely not.

Is it illegal? Yes.

Now it's simply a question of morals. You know the question, and the answer. Take it from there.

Thank you myklazrael. That is how I wanted to hear it. Plain and simple no 10 page details or confusing posibilities.

I see what you are getting at and it makes sense. It's the reason why I asked, sometimes things are not always specific in an understanding way.

Well, it's not like people don't look for ways to save money. It's the norm. I mean if people did not care about prices they would not bother with coupons, sales and discounts. It's a matter of getting it cheaper the legal way. My inquiry was not about getting a student edition to save money, my question was would it be illegal to get one from a person who did not want theirs (brand new, unused) either free or if I give him something for his troubles. How ofte would you pass up a free offer or maybe a very cheap one?

Part of the question does not make sense with the topic, taking advantage in a good or bad way? Is having a family or friend in a computer store that can get you cheaper prices on hardware taking advantage in a good or bad way? I would say good cause it saves you money. Is knowing someone who works in a store who can get discounts and you get them to buy you stuff at discounted prices but you don't consider them friends or do anything for them in return considered taking advantage in a good or bad way? Bad because you are basically abusing the person. See my point?

As for the handi-cap example, I know plenty of handi-cap people who dont like to be treated like they are handi-cap yet they love using handi-cap spaces which I find very hypocritical to be honest. It does, however bother me to see someone not handi-cap taking those spots out of laziness even when I am not handi-cap and do not get punished for it.

If I didn't I wouldn't have asked. May I provide a piece of advise? Next time you wish to contribute your opinion on a persons question, try not to prejudge them before understanding the question properly or getting to know the person a little better. Not everyone uses illegal copies of everything.

I was once one of those poeple who downloaded illegal copies of Stardock software, many here know that including Brad. I admitted what I did and immediately stopped using the software after realizing what the people of Stardock go thru to make this software and those who make the great skins to go with them, before I did not care cause I did not understand. I now own a legit copy of Object Desktop and a copy of ObjectDock Plus.  At this point all my software is either legit paid for or open source so this is not about cheating MS, it's about looking for savings. Thats all. A free copy is a free copy. But don't want to mess with it if it would bring me problems.

People need to stop prejuding others.

This just in.  "MBA student goes to jail for using a student copy of Windows Vista after graduating"

I bought one this morning. With a simple google search, you can find a coupon that will discount the price to $260.00 USD which is  less than the price of 1 full version copy of Professional.

You actually get 10 copies of Win 7 Ultimate, 10 Professionals, 10 Home Premiums, ect. They are all full, retail versions except the 10 Starter editions which are OEM.

You also get most past Operatings systems and Office suites.

More then enough versions to load all 6 of my machines.

Jafo, thanks for the tip...I had no idea microsoft offered such a deal.

Hmmm. with 3 functioning rigs here, and another under construction (from spare parts), this Technet might be the best way for me n' the missus to get Win 7 on 'em. 

I still got enough parts to build another 2 machines again, so yeah, I'd be well and truly covered for OS licenses and Office via Technet.  Yup, gonna look into it right now.... though with the Oz dollar improving recently against the greenback, the sub might be a tad under 384 AUD

Um *just checked it out*  price in AUD $ for Technet Plus is $512, and for Individual User $888... that's for a new sub via the Technet subscription page direct.  So Jafo, where did you find it for $384?  Under $400, almost saved and I can scrape... over $500 is another couple of months saving.

Also, it clearly states the license is for evaluation purposes only, primarily for IT's  What's the go there...  elegibility for non-IT/home users?  Could I/we be considered to be 'evaluating'?  I just want to be sure prior to purchase... don't want to get the sub only to have licenses canceled through ineligibility/misuse, etc.

starkers,

I just checked out the pricing the prices with  the coupons usd 349 - $100usd =261.75usd, the aud from australia is $512 - $100 = $435 aud, the -$100 is the $100 off new subscription, but as you can see from the numbers microsoft must be using excel to calulate the prices as they seem to add on the usd 12.75 and the australian $ 23 for no visible reason, but the 25% off is worth more to us aussies as it's bottom line is $384 for the download only sub.

edit and regards the evaluation side, if you write software you are evaluating software compatibility, or longterm network/computer stability, but you might have to keep re-newing the technet subscription each year

harpo