OEM's

**eboyjones** · August 12th, 2002, 11:42 PM

Was at a flea mart and a man was selling oem's of both win95 & win98. He was including a generic product key for installtion.

My question is can you even sell an oem copy? And what about if was in the original wrapping with product key?

Also if you can't find the original product key on the cd itself do you now use it for frisbees?

**Garak** · August 13th, 2002, 02:15 AM

I was always under the impression you have to have a particular license to sell OEM software, but using an "generic key"? by this do you mean the same one?? - That is most definatly shifty in my honest opinion. I'm currently sitting on 3-4 Original Win95 Licenses none of which I need anymore, I think I have the discs too,

Buying a Microsoft product with out the license is worthless - except for the fact you have a nice shiney CD. Your paying for the nice little key code more than anything else,

Good Luck.

**AlienDyne** · August 13th, 2002, 03:29 AM

Originally posted by Garak
I was always under the impression you have to have a particular license to sell OEM software, but using an "generic key"? by this do you mean the same one?? - That is most definatly shifty in my honest opinion.

Although I'm not sure about it, I think this license is needed in order to sell OEM software.

**Darkstar** · August 13th, 2002, 03:00 PM

I though anyone could sell it as long as it was sold with a piece of hardware.

Goes to show how no one really knows (including our MS rep) how the hell they do it.

**eboyjones** · August 13th, 2002, 09:52 PM

so if you have a legal un-used product key can you use it for another disc (that is only 1 disc) an be legal?

I guess is what I am trying to understand is, is the product key on the cd itself, or can you use any cd as long as you have a legal product key?

**AlienDyne** · August 14th, 2002, 02:32 AM

I think if you own a legal product key you can use it on a different CD provided that this CD has the same Operating System with the product key.

But then again, I would defintely email Microsoft and ask this kind of questions just to make sure.

**NooNoo** · August 14th, 2002, 03:52 AM

Originally posted by eboyjones
Was at a flea mart and a man was selling oem's of both win95 & win98. He was including a generic product key for installtion.

My question is can you even sell an oem copy? And what about if was in the original wrapping with product key?

Also if you can't find the original product key on the cd itself do you now use it for frisbees?

My understanding is that if you own a licence/product key for an MS product, then the media is irrelevant... supposing you run your chair over your 95 cd (as I did once)... are you supposed to go buy it again? - No was the answer I got, you can use the same product CD and use your key - it is why you are allowed to burn a backup copy, in case you smash the original. Providing you have the nice booklet with the licence and you can use it.

The problem here is the guy is using a "generic key" - there is no such (legal) thing. Also I understand that OEM version should only be sold with the machine... You can resell your retail copy, but not the OEM copy.

This is what I understood from MS licencing... but as someone pointed out earlier, its a damn minefield!

**getreal** · June 8th, 2004, 09:52 PM

You are not allowed to use your license for another disk. Just the one it came with. You can use that disk on more than one computer in your house. As long as it stays in your house. It is not legal to sell Microsoft licenses without the disk. That is why they have a license. Microsoft is not open source like Linux. You can't copy their software and use it or change it. They keep track of there o.s's. You can update your 98 operating system at microsoft as long as you are the only one with that particular license. If there is more than one registered copy on microsoft web sight they will catch you for pirateing. Don't buy any licenses unless they come with the disk.