Microsoft Rental Rights Licensing

[the yawner]

Good news, everyone!


Windows desktop operating system and Microsoft Office system licenses do not permit renting, leasing, or outsourcing the software to a third party. As a result, many organizations that rent, lease, or outsource desktop PCs to third parties (such as Internet cafés, hotel and airport kiosks, business service centers, and office equipment leasing companies) are not compliant with Microsoft license requirements.

Rental Rights are a simple way for organizations to get a waiver of these licensing restrictions through a one-time license transaction valid for the term of the underlying software license or life of the PC. Solidify your role as trusted advisor by helping your customers become compliant using an additive license that fits their business model—without requiring special tools, processes, reporting, or paperwork.

[source: Microsoft (https://partner.microsoft.com/40104043) found via CNET (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10432154-56.html)

So... I wonder. How will the community react to this?

[Queue29]

the company may still ignore smaller infractions.

It sounds like they're opening a way for those smaller companies to not get sued if they get caught.

Most likely, most companies continue to ignore the legal mumbo jumbo and don't get caught anyway.

Somewhat likely, they make you pay the "rental fee", which may or may not be a negligible amount, the article does not specify.

Least likely, an Open Source Software revolution occurs.

[Simon17]

Honestly, I don't think this will affect anyone at all. I've never seen an internet cafe in my life and people in Myanmar and China just pirate Windows anyway.

[judge jankum]

more hocus pocus from ms?

[the yawner]

Honestly, I don't think this will affect anyone at all. I've never seen an internet cafe in my life and people in Myanmar and China just pirate Windows anyway.
While an Internet Cafe may be the best example, there are other service providers that are also affected with this previously ignored issue. So while it may be far-fetched, I wouldn't be surprised if some hotels and/airports start offering kiosks that run on a Linux-based OS.



more hocus pocus from ms?
Not really. To quote John Herman of gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5445525/microsofts-windows-and-office-rental-licenses-make-no-sense?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+gizmodo/full+(Gizmodo)&utm_content=Google+Reader):


The obvious problem here is that for years, Microsoft had totally fostered illegal behavior: they wrote their license agreements in such a way that there has been no legal way to rent PCs with their software, despite an obvious need for this.

[phrostbyte]

Seems like a shady way for Microsoft to suck more money from taxpayers, you know how many libraries are out there?

Shows how absurd EULAs are.

[phrostbyte]

I wonder how Microsoft could even legally enforce this. Even if their EULA is completely legal, they have the statues of limitation against them. Still, shows you how absurd EULAs are. You PAY for a product, and you can still be sued for using it some way the EULA doesn't explicitly allow. Some EULAs are so bad that potentially you could spent millions of dollars on some software, and any time, for any reason, the author can revoke your license to use that software, with no refund.

With many proprietary software products, your livelihood is legally controlled by the author of the software you use. Free software / open source doesn't have that problem.

I'm just waiting for Microsoft to start demanding royalty from all Windows developers ala Apple iPhone. :| AFAIK, developing software on Windows is not a legal use according to the Windows EULA.

[Genius314]

On a somewhat related note, I was in either Lowes or Home Depot, and noticed that one of those computers that the employees use was running Linux (looked like either unthemed Gnome or xfce... there was a Firefox icon, though)

And Target has help kiosks running Windows. I noticed one with a BSOD one day. :D

[madhi19]

On a somewhat related note, I was in either Lowes or Home Depot, and noticed that one of those computers that the employees use was running Linux (looked like either unthemed Gnome or xfce... there was a Firefox icon, though)

And Target has help kiosks running Windows. I noticed one with a BSOD one day. :D

You should have taken a picture of both!

[madhi19]

Before I had my first rig I use to go to the Internet Café all the time I even worked in one for a while and even then their was talk of going Linux just to cut maintaining cost and downtime! The only grind was that their software to manage individual account was windows only and a gamer oriented place could not take that route off course. If somebody can come up with a Linux Internet Café management client you might just have a hit! Edit: Damn double post sorry guys!

[phrostbyte]

huh?

AFAIK you live in your parent's basement and have no friends, but that doesn't make it true.

Are you insulting me?

[the yawner]

@phrostbyte
I guess in his own way, Queue29 implied that your statement is somewhat questionable.

To express it in another way:
Although I wouldn't have the patience nor the attention span to scrutinize the MS EULA, I don't think there is any explicit statement on the license that would prevent software developers. After all, the simple fact that there's a wide array of software developed for Windows implies that they (MS) encourage this.

[Psumi]

Oh Microsoft...

[cascade9]

It sounds like they're opening a way for those smaller companies to not get sued if they get caught.

Most likely, most companies continue to ignore the legal mumbo jumbo and don't get caught anyway.

Somewhat likely, they make you pay the "rental fee", which may or may not be a negligible amount, the article does not specify.

Least likely, an Open Source Software revolution occurs.

Actually, it does give a figure-


Foley quotes Directions on Microsoft analyst Paul DeGroot as saying that the rental add-on for Office Professional, with the discounts, is $58, while Office Standard costs $45, and Windows is $23. Those are one-time fees good for the life of the PC or underlying Office license and are in addition to the cost of the copy of Office or Windows itself.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10432154-56.html

Seems like a money grab/power play/way to move costs from hardware manufacturers onto outsorucing.rent/etc I.T. companies.

Money grab, because that may even be more than the hardware companies pay.

Way to move costs, because if they charge dell/acer/hp etc to much money they may move to alternate OSes. This way, consumers are still left with limited/no choice as to OS preinstallation, but microsoft get to charge someone else the money they 'lost' on cheap OSes.

Power play?


the company may still ignore smaller infractions.

Call me cynical, but I think that microsoft might be more likely to 'ignore' small companies that the microsoft only, but if they are multi-OS you are more likely to get a some form of action taken against you.

Yeah, like I've said before...maybe I'm a tin-foil-hatter. I hope I am.

[Khakilang]

Do you mean sitting in Internet Cafe for 3 hours is illegal?

[Jestersage]

Do you mean sitting in Internet Cafe for 3 hours is illegal?

According to Microsoft, yes, just who's paying for it will be the question.

[rahilm]

it doesn't make much difference here, where i live. Piracy is rampant and it is hard to find a genuine windows copy.

[donato roque]

If I buy a windows 7, I can't let a third party use it. This is one of the many reasons why I use Linux.

Now MS tells me I may be able to let a third party use the product I bought if I pay rental fee. Tell me. Did the situation just got worse for me or not?

[markbuntu]

Much of the Microsoft and many other EULAs is unenforceable in many countries and states because it is directly contradictory to consumer and business laws. In cases where you are unable to read the EULA before purchasing the product the EULA is legally worthless since the EULA requires you to comply with conditions you are not aware of until after the transaction has been completed, a patently illegal practice in many places.

[the yawner]

Some countries are easily convinced, unfortunately. Especially those that may not have an existing law that could be interpreted as a restriction to licences such as the Windows EULA.

[judge jankum]

If I buy a windows 7, I can't let a third party use it. This is one of the many reasons why I use Linux.

Now MS tells me I may be able to let a third party use the product I bought if I pay rental fee. Tell me. Did the situation just got worse for me or not?

Another example of...you can buy it, but you don't own it.... With Linux, I didn't buy it, but we "all" own it....