Decided to go straigh to the source COA and Hologram
So, according to Microsoft, it is illegal to distribute stand-alone COA labels. I'll trust the law on this one. Thanks everyone - looks like my devil's advocate was wrong. I'm not sure I agree with the law - but it is the law and I will follow it.Counterfeit Protection
Don't fall victim to stand-alone COAs. If you receive offers for COAs as stand-alone items, be aware that these offers are highly suspect—and they can put you and your customers at risk. If you fall victim to stand-alone COAs, you will have wasted money and your customers will not have a legal license to run their software.
Protect your customers and your company. Purchase software through a Microsoft authorized OEM distributor, an assured source of genuine Microsoft software.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Act of 2003 (U.S. only), passed on December 24, 2004, makes it a criminal offense to distribute stand-alone COA labels. There is now a significant legal risk for dishonest resellers to illegally deal in stand-alone COAs. The full weight of the law is behind the efforts of Microsoft to make the marketplace safe for your honest partners.
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