Escrap Question

**drozenski** · 07-05-2012, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

Can anyone tell me if the stickers on the PC cases (the ones with the serial numbers for the operating systems) are worth money to buyers?

I ask, because I have a guy in FL who buys software from me, and the serial number stickers. The price for the software, depends on what you got, but the stickers are $4 a piece.

He pays via paypal and includes the shipping. Just seeing if he is the only buyer for them, or if their might be more.

No it is illegal to sell a OEM serial key from the side of a computer the key is bound to the physical hardware. If you are caught it's jail time + usually 2k-25k fine per offense depending on microsofts mood.

How to Tell

Straight from the horses mouth

"A COA should always accompany the product with which it is associated. COAs and/or product keys cannot be purchased separately from the product."

Is this legal? Selling OEM sticker? - Microsoft Answers

**GeorgeB** · 07-05-2012, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by drozenski

No it is illegal to sell a OEM serial key from the side of a computer the key is bound to the physical hardware. If you are caught it's jail time + usually 2k-25k fine per offense depending on microsofts mood.

How to Tell

Straight from the horses mouth

"A COA should always accompany the product with which it is associated. COAs and/or product keys cannot be purchased separately from the product."

Is this legal? Selling OEM sticker? - Microsoft Answers

Well, then Microsoft needs to get to work suing all the people on ebay...because there is a ton of them already doing it! just saying.

It cannot be that illegal if ebay is allowing users to do it.

Also, if the serial is bound to the physical hardware, then how come hardware in any pc can be used in other PCs? if the hardware is configured for a particular serial?

**AJR** · 07-05-2012, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

Also, if the serial is bound to the physical hardware, then how come hardware in any pc can be used in other PCs? if the hardware is configured for a particular serial?

It's not specifically bound to the physical hardware inside the pc... it is bound to the pc itself. For example, a Dell Optiplex GX620 comes with a COA on the case for Windows XP Professional. That COA was in a series that was issued by Microsoft to Dell to attach to that GX620 from the factory (if that's what the pc was ordered with by the customer). The restore partition or the recovery discs made from the GX620 will be an XP Professional installation specific for the GX620. It doesn't mean that the GX620 always has to be Windows XP Professional - if the customer purchases a license and software for Windows 7 to install on the pc at a later time, it can be installed.

The hardware inside the GX620 pc - the memory, hard drive, expansion cards, even the motherboard aren't tied to the COA on the case and can be parted out and put in other pc's. But that COA is supposed to be born and die with the the GX620.

**GeorgeB** · 07-06-2012, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by AJR

It's not specifically bound to the physical hardware inside the pc... it is bound to the pc itself. For example, a Dell Optiplex GX620 comes with a COA on the case for Windows XP Professional. That COA was in a series that was issued by Microsoft to Dell to attach to that GX620 from the factory (if that's what the pc was ordered with by the customer). The restore partition or the recovery discs made from the GX620 will be an XP Professional installation specific for the GX620. It doesn't mean that the GX620 always has to be Windows XP Professional - if the customer purchases a license and software for Windows 7 to install on the pc at a later time, it can be installed.

The hardware inside the GX620 pc - the memory, hard drive, expansion cards, even the motherboard aren't tied to the COA on the case and can be parted out and put in other pc's. But that COA is supposed to be born and die with the the GX620.

So, what your saying is that the COA is for a particular series basically?

That is what I was figuring...I knew it wasnt attached to the physical hardware.

**drozenski** · 07-06-2012, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

So, what your saying is that the COA is for a particular series basically?

That is what I was figuring...I knew it wasnt attached to the physical hardware.

A microsft COA liscense is tied to the physical hardware. You can sell the hardware however you want but the windows key is tied to it. Its the reason that if you have a COA key and upgrade your computer too many times with new hardware or replace your motherboard with a diffrent one the key will not work unless you call microsoft.

George i am a CMGP ( Certified Microsoft Gold Partner ) i have had to read entire books on this crap. You can not sell a COA key with out selling the entire computer with it. Period. No matter how "not that illegal" you think it is, it is still Illegal. Their are tons on ebay and they are removed very quickly. Just because you see them doesnt make it legal. Ebay uses alot of resources to remove them but cant always get them all.

I am bound by my microsoft partner program to report all illegal and conterfit liscensing activity, so please quit while you are ahead. We dont need false information on this forum and we dont need any info on how to break the law.