Selling XP Lite Editions

[iisjman07]

Another local computer repair shop is currently selling 'XP Lite Editions' to customers who have especially low computer specifications. He states 'OEM product key (COA) required to install', so it's not a counterfeit copy of Windows, but I was wondering is selling 'Lite Editions' legal or not? Anyone know how I can contact Microsoft to find out? I know he has been in trouble in the past with MS for selling OEM product key stickers...

Link

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Not sure if it's legal, but it will come back to bite him. Someone will need a feature he removed and be ****** about it.

 

[OldSchoolPC]

Are you saying that if the client already has their own XP COA of any flavor, that he will use that and install this XP Lite? In any case, calling it XP Lite is probably a copywrite infringement. You can't brand your own version of XP. If he is selling OEM COAs that is also illegal unless he is selling the system.

 

[iisjman07]

Are you saying that if the client already has their own XP COA of any flavor, that he will use that and install this XP Lite?

I don't know if he specifically installs it or just sells the disks to customers. I assume he would install it for them if necessary.

If he is selling OEM COAs that is also illegal unless he is selling the system.

He's not selling COA's with the disks currently; in a previous incident he was selling just OEM COA's to customers and was caught and fined, I believe.

 

[OldSchoolPC]

Oh, he sells the DISKS. Yeah, he can't do that. Period. Whether they have a COA or not. While it is a client's right to make a back-up of their CD for archival purposes, in case they lose their CD, you can't just buy one from a 3rd party. You can of course get one from Dell or whoever the manufacturer is, but that's cool with MS. Now if he were to sell a CD that would "Tweak" XP to run in what he calls "Lite" mode, that would be legal.

 

[tarik]

I don't know if he specifically installs it or just sells the disks to customers. I assume he would install it for them if necessary.



He's not selling COA's with the disks currently; in a previous incident he was selling just OEM COA's to customers and was caught and fined, I believe.

sounds like he'll never learn then

 

[joydivision]

By COAs I assume you mean he was selling already used COAs? As there is nothing wrong with selling new OEM keys with the disks is there otherwise Ebuyer, CCL, Microdirect etc would all be in trouble.

 

[iisjman07]

By COAs I assume you mean he was selling already used COAs? As there is nothing wrong with selling new OEM keys with the disks is there otherwise Ebuyer, CCL, Microdirect etc would all be in trouble.

Yeah sorry I should have made that clearer. He was using a heat-gun to remove product keys from a completely trashed computer, throwing the computer away and then selling the key on.

 

[Daifne]

Can't do that. Those COA's are tied to the machine and cannot be resold per the EULA.

 

[4ycr]

Is this not the same problem comet are in over discs or have I read it wrong?

 

[joydivision]

Comet were simply making recovery discs, I guess its the same as making a copy of Windows 7 OEM in case the client needs to reinstall it.

What the guy in this case is doing is building a PC, then transferring a used OEM key to it which is illegal as the COA belongs to the case and motherboard.