VMWare / Wine

[Eberhard Roloff]

Derek Broughton wrote:
> Matthew Flaschen wrote:
> 
>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>
>>>   I admit I'm not [a lawyer], but my reading of Canadian law tells me I'm 
>>>   very 
>>> well within my rights to use an OEM licensed version of Windows on the
>>> same hardware for which that license was issued.
>> I don't think so.  Perhaps if you used Microsoft Virtual PC?
> 
> No, that would satisfy Microsoft, but Canadian law doesn't have the same
> sorts of restrictions that US law has (as the RIAA and others have been
> complaining).  We don't have legal support for DRM, and we have _explicit_
> rights to copy audio and video recordings (that we own) for our personal
> use.  While I don't know of case law to back up the use of software in a
> situation like this, it's certainly analogous and I feel on very safe
> ground to assume I'd win if MS wanted to try to take me to a Canadian
> court.  After all, I haven't made more copies of the software than MS's
> EULA tells me I can make AND I'm running it on exactly the same hardware.

Well, then you may try to call MS and let them reactivate your windows
installation.

I did this with a winXP home that came with my computer and now runs on
top of Linux in VMware. I did not have a problem with explaining to the
microsoft hotline that I "slightly downgraded" my existing hardware and
that the system now cries for activation, once again.
But well, this was/is in Germany and I do not know how they handle this
elsewhere.

Although worth to note:

Vista as a Guest on virtualization software and the related license
implications
ex.
http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/02/01/virtualvista/index.php?lsrc=mwtoprss

regards
Eberhard