[ubuntu-uk] [Fwd: Re: [OT] - MS XP Pro OEM CD - How?]

[Eddie Armstrong]

Alan Pope wrote:
> Being brutal - not our problem and somewhat "OT" for this list.
>   

I clearly labelled the topic OT and i stressed that it must be  a legal 
solution.
When I started this thread, I had hesitation in bringing a Windows 
subject to this group - however I felt someone here,  might be able to 
help me. As licence of OEM software goes with the hardware. I thought a 
lot of people on this list might have faced this problem when 
refurbishing systems and hence have a legal solution - IANAL and do not 
fully understand the legality of copying something for which I have a 
licence and  which I can use legally  and  whether that constitutes 
/software piracy /, only retrospectively do I think it MIGHT be the case 
that /sharing/ it is wrong.  Therefore I am open to a better solution


> My advice would be to call the OEM or Microsoft themselves.
>   
As for the previous advice I was given I think it was given in good 
faith and no one was attempting any fraud/theft/copyright 
violations/piracy or anything else illegal. I DID search Microsoft's 
sites using different search criteria and could not find a solution, I 
also read articles and MS documents re OEM software licensing.  
Microsoft would not have been harmed by this, there was no financial 
loss; in fact probably the opposite, as I was  refurbishing the machines 
and putting them back into circulation; re-installing- XP giving them 
more opportunities to get even richer ,  making them dual boot instead 
of pure Ubuntu boxes.
I was not charging for this either
We download/copy/share licenced software all the time; as OEM software 
has all ready been bundled and is only being re-installed it did not 
occur to me that this was wrong. Obviously if there's a risk of breaking 
copyright then we shouldn't advocate torrents but I don't think we were 
'/promoting software piracy/'. I have never knowingly installed 
stolen/counterfeit etc software nor advocated it - quite the opposite, 
in fact. Hence my concern that solutions  be legal.

There must be a legal way of getting a copy of MS OEM software  - in the 
absence of any other suggestion I will try phoning MS next week.

Eddie