ESD licence - Microsoft office 2016. Is it legal?

cargen

On Amazon some vendors are selling Microsoft office at c.£16 Vs c£100 from Microsoft.

Are these licences legal.
Where is the trick?

Xterminator

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/is-esd-licence-legal/643a96c8-1b69-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5

i think this thread answers your question clearly. the axiom of if it sounds too good to be tru it usually is, applies here.

cargen

Xterminator wrote: »

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/is-esd-licence-legal/643a96c8-1b69-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5

i think this thread answers your question clearly. the axiom of if it sounds too good to be tru it usually is, applies here.

Thanks for your reply.
I actually bought it yesterday and registered it.
It is working fine.

How a site like Amazon can allow to sell illegal stuff.
I would assume Microsoft would report it.
These guy are on the top 10 vendor for Microsoft products.

seamus

It's not "illegal" per se, that's to say that there is no law which says you may not sell these keys. And by selling or using them you are not breaking any laws.

The legality of these keys is a civil matter between you and Microsoft, who may sue you for using their software without a valid licence.

So if you're buying these keys in the interests of being "legit", you're wasting your money.

Johnboy1951

This might be helpful

http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/EU-court-legalises-second-hand-software

yoyo

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

This might be helpful

http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/EU-court-legalises-second-hand-software

It's not second hand software though in this case. These are keys generated for MSDN subscriptions, so developers can get "free" keys with a valid MSDN subscription only for testing the software.
In theory Microsoft could easily block/invalidate these keys if they suspect the sellers MSDN account is used for reselling keys. They could also decide to invalidate the keys after a certain timeframe, e.g end of developers MSDN subscription.
I've no idea if Microsoft have ever done this with resold keys, I've never heard of it happen. But I suppose it's a risk you take with buying these keys.

Johnboy1951

yoyo wrote: »

It's not second hand software though in this case. These are keys generated for MSDN subscriptions, so developers can get "free" keys with a valid MSDN subscription only for testing the software.
In theory Microsoft could easily block/invalidate these keys if they suspect the sellers MSDN account is used for reselling keys. They could also decide to invalidate the keys after a certain timeframe, e.g end of developers MSDN subscription.
I've no idea if Microsoft have ever done this with resold keys, I've never heard of it happen. But I suppose it's a risk you take with buying these keys.

There was no mention in the original post about specific 'developer' keys or any other.
The EUCJ ruling applies to both physical media as well as electronic download.
If I give you something 'free' then you own that and can sell it if you wish. I have relinquished ownership.
I have no idea what the terms for special developers keys might be from MS, but there was no mention of them in the OP so no reason to assume that is what is being sold.

Lots of companies and individuals are reselling licences - all done legally in the EU.
The USA situation is different.

cargen

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

There was no mention in the original post about specific 'developer' keys or any other.
The EUCJ ruling applies to both physical media as well as electronic download.
If I give you something 'free' then you own that and can sell it if you wish. I have relinquished ownership.
I have no idea what the terms for special developers keys might be from MS, but there was no mention of them in the OP so no reason to assume that is what is being sold.

Lots of companies and individuals are reselling licences - all done legally in the EU.
The USA situation is different.

This is the link if it helps to clarify.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01DYRABLI/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_2?colid=2CB0ER1GXF8QR&coliid=IP46VBHCFHZMF

Johnboy1951

cargen wrote: »

This is the link if it helps to clarify.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01DYRABLI/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_2?colid=2CB0ER1GXF8QR&coliid=IP46VBHCFHZMF

I see nothing there to be concerned about.

If, as you say, it installed and registered then you seem to be ok with your purchase.

Dravokivich

There was another thread up recently for a similar thing. These guys are selling off volume license keys.

Scratch that. This looks like Microsoft may be the seller themselves. Which is quite oddly priced if so.

TerrorFirmer

Dravokivich wrote: »

There was another thread up recently for a similar thing. These guys are selling off volume license keys.

Scratch that. This looks like Microsoft may be the seller themselves. Which is quite oddly priced if so.

They're not, it's 'by Microsoft'. The list of actual sellers is available by clicking on the offers.

Same as the OS keys being sold for the same price. Technically not legit and in the case of Windows keys I had a number that were revoked (though I was using a lot of them)