Pirate site still on the air

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frazer Jolly Goodfellow
  • Start date Start date
F

Frazer Jolly Goodfellow

http://www.studentoptions.com/

This Microsoft download site is still on the air despite than a week
after being 'outed' in this newsgroup and declared a pirate site.
Given Microsoft's legal fire power I'd have expected it to have been
nuked long ago.

Or maybe this is a forerunner of a change of distribution mechanisms
and a revised pricing policy from Microsoft? In today's market, the
prices quoted look much more realistic than MS's current list prices,
particularly versus freeby/wannabes like OpenOffice.
 
Be careful how much power you attribute to Microsoft or anyone else.
There is very little that can often be done.
Many such sites are outside any practical jurisdiction.
 
From: "Jupiter Jones [MVP]" <[email protected]>

| Be careful how much power you attribute to Microsoft or anyone else.
| There is very little that can often be done.
| Many such sites are outside any practical jurisdiction.
|

I wasn't able to access it anyway ;-)
 
David said:
From: "Jupiter Jones [MVP]" <[email protected]>

| Be careful how much power you attribute to Microsoft or anyone else.
| There is very little that can often be done.
| Many such sites are outside any practical jurisdiction.
|

I wasn't able to access it anyway ;-)
Click to expand...
I accessed it without any problems. Not such a big deal since the US is
not included in the program.

sced13ri
 
[[Just choose the country you're studying in and click on the flag]]

No US flag to choose from may be a clue.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Frazer said:
http://www.studentoptions.com/

This Microsoft download site is still on the air despite than a week
after being 'outed' in this newsgroup and declared a pirate site.
Given Microsoft's legal fire power I'd have expected it to have been
nuked long ago.

Or maybe this is a forerunner of a change of distribution mechanisms
and a revised pricing policy from Microsoft? In today's market, the
prices quoted look much more realistic than MS's current list prices,
particularly versus freeby/wannabes like OpenOffice.
Click to expand...

There are authorized educational distributors, even in USA such as
www.oetc.org. License prices are _very_ low (ex. $40 for XP Pro Upgrade,
$40 for Office 2003), CDs are burned and labeled by the distributor and
media costs $15 per CD. I see no reason why a legitimate educational
distributor wouldn't be able to offer downloadable install media to cut
costs to themselves and qualified customers.

Just because it hasn't been widely done before doesn't make it illicit.

Steve N.
 
From: "sced13ri" <[email protected]>


| I accessed it without any problems. Not such a big deal since the US is
| not included in the program.
|
| sced13ri

I tried it again, and I could access the site.
A site that is nothing to get all excited about.
 
I see one big reason.
Microsoft does not allow the products to be distributed that way.
That is one reason it is not widely done.
 
Jupiter said:
I see one big reason.
Microsoft does not allow the products to be distributed that way.
That is one reason it is not widely done.
Click to expand...

Maybe they've changed. After all, one product, SP2, was distributed by
downloading it.

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.
 
Jupiter said:
I see one big reason.
Microsoft does not allow the products to be distributed that way.
That is one reason it is not widely done.
Click to expand...

IIRC, Microsoft had proposed, at one time, that educational
centers consider selling academic versions of its products
in this particular way. The qualified buyer would visit the
campus bookstore and a copy of the product would be burned
to a cdrom or released through the campus intranet. The
buyer would be given an activation code and the transaction
was completed. The reason it flopped could well be given to
the fact that the buyers really wanted something tangible
for the money spent...like the "real" thing.
 
Jupiter said:
I see one big reason.
Microsoft does not allow the products to be distributed that way.
That is one reason it is not widely done.
Click to expand...

Please furnish documentation from Microsoft supporting this statement.
They allow products to be distibuted that way for MSDN subscribers. They
also have KBs covering product installation across the wire. Why would
this be any different?

Just because you haven't seen it done doesn't make it illicit. And as we
know from a previous thread on this, the site in question has been
reported to MS and nothing has been done. Why do you suppose that is?

I'd also like to see a MS rep chime in, if any are reading this.

Steve N.
 
Alias;
Updates and Service Packs are distributed by downloads, CDs, Etc that is not
a change.
But SP-2 download was only legitimately available through Microsoft servers.
 
That site is fradulent. The DTI (UK government body) is investigating
it. It currently advises UK customers as follows:

Make sure you know the trader's full address - especially if the company
is based outside the UK.

That site hasn't got a proper address. Also, there is no way to know
its ISP unless they reply to your enquiry. They haven't replied to my
enquiry!!!

hth
 
There are authorized educational distributors, even in USA such as
www.oetc.org. License prices are _very_ low (ex. $40 for XP Pro Upgrade,
$40 for Office 2003), CDs are burned and labeled by the distributor and
media costs $15 per CD. I see no reason why a legitimate educational
distributor wouldn't be able to offer downloadable install media to cut
costs to themselves and qualified customers.

Just because it hasn't been widely done before doesn't make it illicit.
Click to expand...


In UK the download is only allowed to students who are using the College
network. You can't just use your home broadand to download any products
from my University! You have to be in VPN to download using your own
broadband connection or you have to be in college and using
cable/wireless to download the software.
 
Please furnish documentation from Microsoft supporting this statement.
They allow products to be distibuted that way for MSDN subscribers. They
also have KBs covering product installation across the wire. Why would
this be any different?

Just because you haven't seen it done doesn't make it illicit. And as we
know from a previous thread on this, the site in question has been
reported to MS and nothing has been done. Why do you suppose that is?

I'd also like to see a MS rep chime in, if any are reading this.

Steve N.
Click to expand...

MSDN subscribers pay a pretty penny to have access to online versions of
current and beta software. And that software can only be downloaded from
the MSDN servers.

KBs describing across the wire installs refer to product installs inside a
corporate LAN using RIS and/or GPOs, not distribution of media.
 
Here is the reply from Microsoft:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your email regarding legitimacy of www.studentoptions.com.

I understand your query and will do my best to assist you.

In response to your query, I must inform you that www.studentoptions.com is a legitimate website which allows students in the UK
(France and Austria at a later date) to purchase the latest desktop software at academic prices.

You can also visit the following link for information on discounts for students.
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/promo-events/discounted-for-students/default.aspx

I hope the information provided was helpful.

For further clarifications, feel free to call us on 0870 60 10 100. The lines are open from 8AM to 6PM, Monday to Friday, excluding
public holidays.

Have a Great Day!

Kind Regards,
AnoopViswanathan
Customer Service Professional
Microsoft Customer Services


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------

"anomally" wrote:

| Hi
|
| I find it strange that most people here seem to think it is a fraudulent
| site considering microsoft have an offical link to it on there UK website
| http://www.microsoft.com/uk/academia/software/access/default.mspx#cost-effective-ways
|
| Which also explains that they support the site and you can download from
| there legally.
 
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