Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
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In news:O%23h7imeQFHA.1500@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl,
Galen <galennews@gmail.com> typed:
> In news:OhJm%23fTQFHA.3596@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl,
> Ken Blake <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> had this to say:
>
> My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
>
>> In news:C76D8622-2D67-4AC3-AD15-77B35A1BBFB1@microsoft.com,
>> Eagle IT <EagleIT@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:
>>
>>> -- I Lost my XP Home CD but still have the registration key
>>> is
>>> there
>>> any way to get or download a replacement from MS without
>>> purchasing
>>> new software? Eagle IT
>>
>> If yours was a retail version, see
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[ln];326246.
>>
>>
>>
>> But if it was an OEM version, Microsoft won't support it and
>> you're probably out of luck. However it doesn't hurt to try
>> asking the OEM you bought it from if they can replace it.
>
> Here's a good place for me to ask my burning question. The
> license
> was the key? For all intents and purposes? If the OP lost his
> key
> could he legally copy a friends CD and use that copy of the CD
> with
> HIS OWN legit license without violating the law? (The EULA
> isn't
> "law" but rather what Microsoft wants us to do, it's never been
> tried
> in court AFAIK thus isn't absolute.) Don't get me wrong, I'm
> not
> condoning piracy. I'm just trying to understand. Failure of the
> OP to
> make a backup copy of the work on their own is their own fault
> and to
> have done so would have been within their legal rights even
> according
> to the EULA. (Microsoft even has somewhere on their site the
> directions for slipstreaming SP2 I think. So they're not
> against
> burning copies for your own use and for installation on a
> single PC
> according to the EULA.)
> This does really beg to be asked and if it has been then I
> missed it.
> I probably should have brought this to DTS but I'm curious and
> want
> to know. I'm not expecting anyone from Microsoft to even touch
> this
> question in a public forum (and I don't blame them.)
>
> Two questions really. The OP bought the license to the software
> (we'll
> assume non-OEM for this if you'll allow me that liberty as
> that's a
> whole other bowl of worms) and the license really wasn't for
> the
> medium the data was stored on but rather for the actual key.
> They
> lost the original installation media disc and may have a friend
> who
> has another non-OEM version of the same identical OS. Is there
> anything illegal if they copy their friends CD and use their
> own
> license? If it's not known if it's legal or not then does
> anyone
> really care if the above case is as stated? I carefully avoid
> the OEM
> subject in these questions as that just opens up too many
> different
> possibilities so please allow me the assumption that in the
> disks are
> full retail products.
I'm not a lawyer, and I certainly don't speak for Microsoft, so
all I can do is offer my personal view. Yes, the license is the
key, and if you have a legitimate key, there's nothing wrong with
borrowing a friend's CD of the same type (Home vs Professional;
Full vs Upgrade; Retail vs generic OEM) and making a copy of it.
The result of doing this is exactly the same as if you had been
prudent enough to copy your own CD for backup purposes in the
first place, so it's hard for me to see how this could be illegal
or objected to.
--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
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