Re: [Xen-users] How do I get Windows licenses for virtual machines?

[Ben Holt <ben@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dustin Henning said the following:
>         Whether or not that "loophole" is legal is debatable.
No it isn't.  It was widely employed and promoted by MS in back 
channels.  Reading the current Windows 7 OEM license 
(http://oem.microsoft.com/public/sblicense/2008_sb_licenses/fy08_sb_license_english.pdf) 
point 5c indicates it is still a valid option.

> However, assuming it
> is legal, said CD-ROM drive or audio cable would have to be installed in the
> machine the license is being used on in order to meet the conditions of the
> "loophole."
That's easy enough, assuming you still have a CD/DVD-ROM drive in your 
machine.
>   Seeing as how a virtual machine technically has no hardware,
> unless it is also legal to consider the host's hardware applicable to the
> OEM license, this "loophole" still wouldn't be effective.
Have you read the license?  IANAL, but I wouldn't dismiss it without 
checking.  I don't see any mention of virtualisation or VMs in the OEM 
System Builder License.  I could be reading the license too liberally, 
but I think you are over complicating matters. 
>   That said, it
> would allow for the purchase of volume licensing for the virtual machine on
> the hardware that had the OEM license once the OEM license was obtained, but
> at that point, the cost is probably going to be greater than the initial
> retail license (unless you are to have several Windows VMs on one machine,
> but even then the volume licensing might require an OEM license per volume
> license), and you are still keeping track of individual OEM licenses and
> their keys the same way you are with the retail ones, only then that
> tracking is in addition to the volume licensing.
>   
When I read things like this I smile and think about how little I miss 
proprietary software and the peripheral headaches that come with it.
Anthony, best of luck sorting out your licensing :-p.

- Ben

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