please clear me up of the legality of this issue

[jimmyrules712]

In looking around for the cheapestway to get microsoft office 2000, i can acros this deal

http://www.store.yahoo.com/glob2000/frshmiof20sm1.html

they are offering a license for microsoft office 2000 small buisness edition, for $65.

So is everything legal and good for me to buy that license, and then use it with a cd that i aquire through someone else, or that i just copy from someone else?

[Ares]

As i understand it, and as it logically would make sense, is that the license gives you permission to use your already purchased copy of MS OFFICE on additional computers. It doesn't give you permission to use a pirated/illegal copy on your computer. Only to use your purchased copy on additonal cpu's. Nothing makes an illegal copy... legal.

[jimmyrules712]

well i thought the way software and licenses worked was when your buying software, what your actually purchasing is the license, not the cd containing the software. The license is the thing that says you have permission to use the software isnt it? the only way a copy is illegal is if i dont have microsoft permission to use it, if the owner of the original makes a copyits legal, because he has the license forit.

[kram 2.0]

The way these things work, is that every time you buy a software, you buy the right to use it - the liscence for the software that happened to come on a CD with the liscence. Remember that sometimes, you can download evaluation versions from software websites for 30 days or something, then after that, they would request a liscence for further usage? It's much like that. Pirated copies or versions of the illegal nature are in no way legal in any way they are used, even if you have a valid liscence to use it. Just take this - if the pirated copy does ask for the liscence, but lets say it doens't register it, then it would be your using the software without a liscence.

What I would do is to go to Newegg and buy their small business OEM Disk for Office2003 - they're pretty inexpensive and are alloted the purchase with hardware.


Hope that helps,
kram

[Redfallon]

Originally posted by kram8806 Pirated copies or versions of the illegal nature are in no way legal in any way they are used, even if you have a valid liscence to use it.

Pirated software *is* by definition software you don't have the license to use. In this case, if that is a legit M$ license, and he buys it, it doesn't matter *where* he gets the software (download, copy, whatever) as he has purchased the *right* to use it on however many machines he purchased the license for.

Just take this - if the pirated copy does ask for the liscence, but lets say it doens't register it, then it would be your using the software without a liscence.

Your logic seems sort of cicular. Software doesn't have to register the key/license for you to legally own it. Depends on the software. Maybe I am totally out in left field here, but I don't see a problem with where the software comes from. If I buy a multi-license pack it's STILL only going to come with one set of install discs, and three licenses. Where's the difference?

I would, however, question the site selling the license. I am unfamiliar with them, and to my knowledge M$ only sells licenses from their website.

[glc]

That's perfectly legal as long as you use an original CD or a copy of one that's the version that license is for (Small Business Edition). It is not legal to use that license to install, say, Office 2000 Premium.

Now, why spend even $65? Will Open Office do what you need? That's free.

[jimmyrules712]

well this isnt for me, for a friend im building for, but whats open office?

[andyms18a]

have a look at this http://www.openoffice.org/

[jimmyrules712]

wait so tell me about open office, how different is it from MS Office? any disadvantages?

[Miz]

Open Office looks a lot like MS Office, it can handle MS Office file formats and it's free. click here for everything you ever wanted to know about Open Office...including a link to a Flash demonstration.

There is another free office suite - 602 PC Suite - which also handles the standard MS Office file formats and is also free for personal use.

The only disadvantage I've ever found with either one is in the users' minds. They think that if it isn't a Microsoft product, it's "not any good."