Vista Media Center

[anthropos]

We are a small manufacturer of media centers, selling a few hundred every year.

We would like to know from someone with authority if we decide to modify the
colour scheme and front menu of Vista Media Center, are we in violation of
any licensing with Microsoft and will/can Microsoft sue us for providing a
custom experience to our clients. For example we have developed a solution
that removes all the sleep and close buttons, except from shutdown.

It seems a lot of companies are now modifying the front menu. Is this action
sunctioned by Microsoft.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

We are a small manufacturer of media centers, selling a few hundred every
year.

We would like to know from someone with authority if we decide to modify
the
colour scheme and front menu of Vista Media Center, are we in violation of
any licensing with Microsoft and will/can Microsoft sue us for providing a
custom experience to our clients. For example we have developed a solution
that removes all the sleep and close buttons, except from shutdown.

It seems a lot of companies are now modifying the front menu. Is this
action
sunctioned by Microsoft.

I suppose it can be done with permission, as some OEMs do that, I think.

Have you got Windows Media Centre TV Pack 2008 yet?

ss.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

No one here can possibly answer this question, for a definitive answer you'd
need to contact Microsoft directly and negotiate whatever modifications you
would like to make. The forum you are using now is a peer-to-peer support
channel, no official answer from Microsoft is possible here.

 

[Mike Brannigan]

We are a small manufacturer of media centers, selling a few hundred every
year.

We would like to know from someone with authority if we decide to modify
the
colour scheme and front menu of Vista Media Center, are we in violation of
any licensing with Microsoft and will/can Microsoft sue us for providing a
custom experience to our clients. For example we have developed a solution
that removes all the sleep and close buttons, except from shutdown.

It seems a lot of companies are now modifying the front menu. Is this
action
sunctioned by Microsoft.

If you are making modifications to the UI via published APIs then there is
no problem. If your modifications are by modifying system files or
replacing system files then you may have an issue (firstly you will be
releasing machines with an unsupportable OS, as far as Microsoft are
concerned - of course if you are OEM licensing the OS as a system builder
then you are entirely responsible for supporting the hardware and the
operating system; secondly modification of system files will be broken by
any update,hotfix or service pack that the end user installs manually or
automatically). Also it is higly likely that this would not pass the
certifed for Windows logo compliance tests.
Also if you are doing system file modification and you worked out how to do
this without a proper license for Windows Source Code, so effect if you have
reverse engineered, decompile or disassemble the OS, you may be in breach of
clause 8 of the End User License agreement.

If you are in doubt about the legality of your software/OEM release then
contact your Microsoft account management team or local subsidiary.

Mike Brannigan