Microsoft: Office 2013 license is for just one PC, forever

[Gary]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/02/20/office_2013_license_no_transfers/

Under these terms, you can't even transfer the software to yourself. If you buy a new PC, you're expected to buy a brand-new retail copy of Office to go with it, even if you uninstall it from your old machine.

[Glenn]

Just the same with Win 8 it's locked to the BIOS on the motherboard.

[Ray]

Just the same with Win 8 it's locked to the BIOS on the motherboard.

Presumably that only applies to OEM versions? Glenn.

These are the Licence terms from my Win 8 Pro U/G version: -

Can I transfer the software to another computer or user? You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you. You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. To make that transfer, you must transfer the original media, the certificate of authenticity, the product key and the proof of purchase directly to that other person, without retaining any copies of the software. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software. Anytime you transfer the software to a new computer, you must remove the software from the prior computer.

[Glenn]

Take a look here Ray http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7-57554240-292/windows-8-moves-to-bios-based-product-keys/

[Simon]

Another tightening of the screws. 

[Ray]

That only seems to apply to machines pre loaded with OEM versions, the retail U/G versions I've got are all supplied with product keys.

[pctech]

Palladium rises from the dead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next-Generation_Secure_Computing_Base

[Technical Ben]

So in promoting the cloud services, they remove the cloud benefits (access anywhere, pay ones)? 

Would they like a hand shooting their feet? I'd expect them to mess that up if they tried!

[pctech]

Open Source will be coming into its own I think and I'll be switching to reactOS

[Niall]

They must be retarded if they think locking an operating system to a bios is going to do anything other than harm their sales. Generally I replace a motherboard every 2 years at the latest, during these periods I will have definitely replaced something else in the system too, like the graphics card and soundcard.

[kinmel]

It will probably be as successful as the SLIC authentication system is on Windows 7