Microsoft Office 2003 EULA clarification

[All Things Mopar]

As I read the EULA for the various MS Office 2003
products on http://www.microsoft.com/office/eula, I am
allowed to install and use the product on a /single/ PC
but may and also install it on my laptop, provided that
I don't have a second person using the laptop while I'm
using my desktop.

Is that how I should interpret the EULA?

And, I assume MS Office (all varients) use product
activation to enforce the license and presumeably the
Eula. Is that also correct? So, does Office "call home"
while I'm using it on one of my two eligible PCs and
cross-reference and prevent attempted simulaneous use on
the other PC?

The reason for this question is /not/ to find a way to
skirt the EULA, but to guarantee before I stroke the big
bucks this product costs that I'll be able to always use
it regardless of which PC /I/ am on, and without being
worrying about disadvantaged by some validation
procedure.

Thanks.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

As I read the EULA for the various MS Office 2003
products on http://www.microsoft.com/office/eula, I am
allowed to install and use the product on a /single/ PC
but may and also install it on my laptop, provided that
I don't have a second person using the laptop while I'm
using my desktop.

Is that how I should interpret the EULA?

And, I assume MS Office (all varients) use product
activation to enforce the license and presumeably the
Eula. Is that also correct? So, does Office "call home"
while I'm using it on one of my two eligible PCs and
cross-reference and prevent attempted simulaneous use on
the other PC?

The reason for this question is /not/ to find a way to
skirt the EULA, but to guarantee before I stroke the big
bucks this product costs that I'll be able to always use
it regardless of which PC /I/ am on, and without being
worrying about disadvantaged by some validation
procedure.

You are correct - the Office EULAs (certain types) do allow you to install
on your main PC and a laptop.

 

[All Things Mopar]

On this date, Shenan Stanley extended this wisdom for the
consideration of other readers...

You are correct - the Office EULAs (certain types) do allow
you to install on your main PC and a laptop.

Thanks. I think the only "exception" is the school edition
which allows qualifying students or teachers to install and
use Office 2003 on 3 PCs.

I can see that the student/teacher version probably installs
and activates on the first 3 PCs that activation is attempted
on.

I assume, then, that the other varients look for two different
hardware configs and allow at most two installs/activations,
and maybe "calls home" periodically to see if the "other" PC
is using the product at the same time as the "first" one to
launch Office.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Jerry;
Retail Office and not OEM and other versions.
Generally you can install on a desktop and portable as long as you are the
user of each.
Read the specific EULA for details.
The EULA will make it clear.

 

[Ron Martell]

As I read the EULA for the various MS Office 2003
products on http://www.microsoft.com/office/eula, I am
allowed to install and use the product on a /single/ PC
but may and also install it on my laptop, provided that
I don't have a second person using the laptop while I'm
using my desktop.

Is that how I should interpret the EULA?

Yes. Some versions of Office 2003 do allow this. Others do not,
especially OEM versions and (possibly) educational versions.

And, I assume MS Office (all varients) use product
activation to enforce the license and presumeably the
Eula. Is that also correct? So, does Office "call home"
while I'm using it on one of my two eligible PCs and
cross-reference and prevent attempted simulaneous use on
the other PC?

No. There is still some trust placed on the integrety of the user, in
spite of considerable evidence that this trust is misplaced in many
cases.

The reason for this question is /not/ to find a way to
skirt the EULA, but to guarantee before I stroke the big
bucks this product costs that I'll be able to always use
it regardless of which PC /I/ am on, and without being
worrying about disadvantaged by some validation
procedure.

Thanks.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[All Things Mopar]

On this date, Jupiter Jones [MVP] extended this wisdom for
the consideration of other readers...

Jerry;
Retail Office and not OEM and other versions.

Yes, I should have said that.

Generally you can install on a desktop and portable as
long as you are the user of each. Read the specific
EULA for details. The EULA will make it clear.

Thanks. I did read the various EULAs and that's the
interpretation I got - it has to be /me/ on /my/ two computers.
Again, the reason for asking is that I just hope the activation
checker, whatever it is, doesn't get spoofed somehow and shut
/me/ down!

 

[All Things Mopar]

On this date, Ron Martell extended this wisdom for the
consideration of other readers...

Yes. Some versions of Office 2003 do allow this. Others
do not, especially OEM versions and (possibly) educational
versions.

Yes, I also read the OEM EULA which doesn't apply to me, nor
does the "home use" or educational EULAs. What I'm really
getting ready to do is upgrade from my old Office 97 to 2003
and want to be sure before I spend the bucks that I can do
what I believe I'm allowed to.

No. There is still some trust placed on the integrety of
the user, in spite of considerable evidence that this trust
is misplaced in many cases.

That's refreshing to hear. I'm not a bootlegger, don't make
CDs for people, nor do I accept unprotected or cracked
software from others. I pay for what I use and expect others
to do the same. If more people played it straight, we all
wouldn't be so hamstrung with the very complex activation
schemes becoming more and more common, prices would probably
drop, and bugs would be reduced that are side-effects of the
activation systems.

 

[kurttrail]

Yes. Some versions of Office 2003 do allow this. Others do not,
especially OEM versions and (possibly) educational versions.

Academic versions that are sold at place like Walmart allows three
simultaneous installations.

No. There is still some trust placed on the integrety of the user, in
spite of considerable evidence that this trust is misplaced in many
cases.

TRUST! LOL! MS just couldn't get away with have copy-protection that
phones home constantly! If they could, they would!

It has nothing to do with MS trusting anyone. If they did trust people,
then no copyprotection would be necessary.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Jerry;
Just be sure you are reading the EULA that is part of the Office you are
installing.
That is the only one that matters.
But since it is retail, you should be OK.

Activation probably will not be a problem.
If it is, simply call the displayed number to Microsoft.
Normally takes less than 5 minutes.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org

 

[Richard Urban [MVP]]

Society is built on questioning trust.

If their was trust, there would be no need for time clocks, police, library
cards, lawyers or product validation.

But people make mistakes. They are reigned in through a fine, huge attorney
fees, a late charge, loss of pay, a ticket or having their software
installation denied because it has already been installed on another
computer. After having their wrist slapped it is hoped that they modify
their behavior and return those books on time and obey the speed limits.

These are not my rules. They are societies. There must be rules in any
culture to have a semblance of order.

Now you can dig in Kurt!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from: George Ankner
"If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!"

 

[Guest]

Academic versions that are sold at place like Walmart allows three
simultaneous installations.

Well, ours came from Costco. My wife, a teacher, put it on her desktop and
her laptop, but when I tried to install it on another computer sometimes used
by students, the registration wizard said, "Sorry, this is already reported
installed on another computer." Are you sure it's three machines and not
two, and if it is three, how can this be reconciled?

Thinking back, I had to install it twice on the desktop; first installation
didn't 'take.' Could that be the problem?

Thanks.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Jim Wood wrote:

Academic versions that are sold at place like Walmart allows three
simultaneous installations.

Well, ours came from Costco. My wife, a teacher, put it on her
desktop and her laptop, but when I tried to install it on another
computer sometimes used by students, the registration wizard said,
"Sorry, this is already reported installed on another computer." Are
you sure it's three machines and not two, and if it is three, how can
this be reconciled?

Thinking back, I had to install it twice on the desktop; first
installation didn't 'take.' Could that be the problem?

No - it couldn't - you give the process too much credit in that it knows how
many times it has been installed.

You sure you have this version:
Microsoft® Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003

And not a different version of Microsoft Office 2003? After all - the
process also has no idea your wife is a teacher.

 

[kurttrail]

Society is built on questioning trust.

If their was trust, there would be no need for time clocks, police,
library cards, lawyers or product validation.

But people make mistakes. They are reigned in through a fine, huge
attorney fees, a late charge, loss of pay, a ticket or having their
software installation denied because it has already been installed on
another computer. After having their wrist slapped it is hoped that
they modify their behavior and return those books on time and obey
the speed limits.
These are not my rules. They are societies. There must be rules in any
culture to have a semblance of order.

Now you can dig in Kurt!

Societies aren't always right. And MS is not society. MS has no
mandate over culture to have a semblance of order.

And, in away, that is what PA is about, tricky people into thinking MS
is a shaper of society. And obviously you are among those who are their
fools.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Societies aren't always right.

Granted, but those who wish to live in them have to play by their
rules. Or go start their own society somewhere else....

And MS is not society.

No, but it operates within our society, so it must play by the
society's rules. This it does, even if you don't like it.

MS has no
mandate over culture to have a semblance of order.

No one but you has ever claimed that it has.

And, in away, that is what PA is about, tricky people into thinking MS
is a shaper of society.

Wrong again. As ususal, you've got the cart before the horse.
Microsoft isn't doing anything (the specific details of protective
mechanisms aside) that other software companies (and most other
purveyors of intellectual property, as well) do - striving to protect
its product from those who need to be watched before they'll act with
integrity.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Alias]

Granted, but those who wish to live in them have to play by their rules.
Or go start their own society somewhere else....




No, but it operates within our society, so it must play by the society's
rules. This it does, even if you don't like it.




No one but you has ever claimed that it has.




Wrong again. As ususal, you've got the cart before the horse. Microsoft
isn't doing anything (the specific details of protective mechanisms aside)
that other software companies (and most other purveyors of intellectual
property, as well) do - striving to protect its product from those who
need to be watched before they'll act with integrity.

At least the EU has prohibited patenting intellectual property. Imagine if
someone had patented the idea of a book. Every author would have to pay them
a royalty. MS wants to patent its software. What does that tell you about
MS?

 

[kurttrail]

Granted, but those who wish to live in them have to play by their
rules. Or go start their own society somewhere else....

The sentiments of a true comformist.

Thank God people like Ben Franklin and Martin Luther King Jr. didn't
think like you.

No, but it operates within our society, so it must play by the
society's rules. This it does, even if you don't like it.

LOL! I've never been proven in a court of law to be a IP infringer, or
a predatory monopoly, MS has. So please don't give me the Bullsh*t that
MS is an angel.

MS tries to find ways around societies rules, through out the world, in
many societies.

No one but you has ever claimed that it has.

No one has every claim that the EULA is the Word according to Lord Billy
G?! ROFL!

Wrong again. As ususal, you've got the cart before the horse.
No.

Microsoft isn't doing anything (the specific details of protective
mechanisms aside) that other software companies (and most other
purveyors of intellectual property, as well) do - striving to protect
its product from those who need to be watched before they'll act with
integrity.

That's what courts are for. If MS can PROVE someone is infringing their
IP, then it is their due diligence responsibility to persue that someone
in a real court of law. As usual, it is you that is guilty of what you
accuse me of.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Guest]

Shenan:

Yes, she does have that version. It wasn't the program that imposed the
restrictions, but the product registration via the Internet after
installation. The program warned that it could be opened only 30 more times
(or somesuch) unless it was registered. When I clicked the box we were
logged onto the Microsoft site, which then told us "Sorry, registration
denied... already installed on another computer..." or something like that.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Leythos]

As I read the EULA for the various MS Office 2003
products on http://www.microsoft.com/office/eula, I am
allowed to install and use the product on a /single/ PC
but may and also install it on my laptop, provided that
I don't have a second person using the laptop while I'm
using my desktop.

That's only true for Retail Office. I tried to do this with an OEM
Office 2003 Professional and was told it was not permitted by the
activation phone people.

 

[David R. Norton MVP]

As I read the EULA for the various MS Office 2003
products on http://www.microsoft.com/office/eula, I am
allowed to install and use the product on a /single/ PC
but may and also install it on my laptop, provided that
I don't have a second person using the laptop while I'm
using my desktop.

Is that how I should interpret the EULA?

You may have read the wrong EULA. Microsoft has several different EULAs for
various versions of Office, to make absolutely sure you get the right one,
open any Office app on your own computer, click on Help/About and click on
the "View the end user lisense agreement" link, it'll be in blue right under
the product ID.

 

[All Things Mopar]

On this date, Alias extended this wisdom for the
consideration of other readers...

At least the EU has prohibited patenting intellectual
property. Imagine if someone had patented the idea of a
book. Every author would have to pay them a royalty. MS
wants to patent its software. What does that tell you about
MS?

Last year, M$ was granted a U.S. Patent for mouse double-
clicking! WTF?! First, they didn't invent it, they stole it from
Apple, who'd stole it from the Xerox Star people.