Comments on: Microsoft sues COA pirates

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 01:53:09 +0000

Does anyone know whether it is legal for a company, based in the UK, to sell genuine COA stickers (only), without a CD or EULA?

The reason I ask is that I have been made aware that some companies within the UK, having received Microsoft ‘cease and desist’ letters for selling this product, are now being ‘threatened’ with litigation for continuing to sell this product.

Microsoft are apparently claiming that the seller is infringing their TradeMark and Copyright.

Does this mean that there is no LEGAL second-hand market in this product within the UK?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 08:43:19 +0000

“Such companies unfairly compete in the marketplace with the thousands of legitimate Microsoft partners that deliver honest value to their customers.”

Aha! very funny.
So those breaking M$ imposed monopoly “unfairly compete in the marketplace”?

What about M$ being paid for allowing “partners” exclusive right to participate in it’s little monopoly?
Would that perhaps be a way to “unfairly compete in the marketplace” as well?
Aren’t monopolies illegal anyway?

Kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 03:51:29 +0000

I worked for a company that installed MS Windows in a not-by-the-book-way on all its computers. It’s a lot easier to install the OS on one computer and then image it on multiple computers on the network. Doing it this way, IT had a lot of spare (unopened) CDs that were left lying around. (Maybe they didn’t know about the volume license)

They could have sold them, and they would have been genuine licensed copies, though illegal.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:14:13 +0000

“Microsoft partners that deliver honest value to their customers.â

The words “Microsoft” and “honest value” should never be used in the same sentence.