Microsoft: You Need Permission to Sell Our Software

IEEEmember writes "Microsoft has objected to the sale of bankrupt KMart's Bluelight.com Internet unit to United Online. Microsoft's objection to the sale is based on the non-transferability of software licenses protected by copyright law according to the Reuters story on Yahoo! News. This action by Microsoft should serve as a warning to any corporation that has a significant investment in Microsoft licenses. Dependency on Microsoft licenses may grant Microsoft the ability to veto your business decisions."

Comments

Insane but true...

[SixDimensionalArray]

There isn't much to argue about here - it is an unfortunate fact but the fine print makes it so. Some companies do allow the transfer of software licenses but it is often so expensive it is easier to obtain new licenses and update the software in the process. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes..

How so?

[blane.bramble]

Surely if the business unit owns the licenses, and the *entire* business unit is sold (transferring the business unit to a new owner), the licenses are still valid, as they still belong to the (now renamed) business unit?

So what about company sales.

[Needles]

So according to this if the company I work for is bought by another company, then do the Licences that are on my computer beocme OSB, Does the new company have to buy New licences.

Something to think about?

Re:Question?

[RailGunner]

Not if you upgrade to a Linux Distro like Mandrake 9. Then you can tell MS to go screw themselves. Below is a link where you can get all kinds of ISO's of different distros (and FreeBSD).

http://www.linuxiso.org

Re:Question?

[TeddyR]

Yes..

If it had a MS product on it.

[the MS product has to go with the machine] ... Now if you put linux on it... then thats another story.