Escrap Question

[JustInTime]

Because you do not legally "own" the windows operating system. The key gives you the right to use it. Microsfot is basically leasing it to you.

Differences Between Retail, OEM, System Builder, Volume Licensing, Full or Upgrade License for Windows « My Digital Life

You don't own the license key that is printed on the sticker and that is what you are selling. It is a violation of the EULA to sell that sticker by itself and therefore illegal, regardless of what you may think. That COA is licensed to the machine it came on and cannot be transferred to any other machine. Once again, violation of the EULA. It can most definitely not be sold legally.

[GeorgeB]

You don't own the license key that is printed on the sticker and that is what you are selling. It is a violation of the EULA to sell that sticker by itself and therefore illegal, regardless of what you may think. That COA is licensed to the machine it came on and cannot be transferred to any other machine. Once again, violation of the EULA. It can most definitely not be sold legally.

That is what doesn't make sense. That is almost like saying, I bought a pc with Vista on it, and then bought a Windows 7 Operating System, but cannot use it, because it didnt come on the system.

[JustInTime]

That is what doesn't make sense. That is almost like saying, I bought a pc with Vista on it, and then bought a Windows 7 Operating System, but cannot use it, because it didnt come on the system.

That's simply because you don't understand the differences between OEM licensing and the license for a retail purchase of Windows 7. This is comparing apples to oranges since there are different licenses involved. The sticker on the side of a computer is an OEM sticker licensed to manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo etc, and it allows them to install that OS on their machines only.

When you purchase a stand alone, retail copy of say, Windows 7, you're purchasing a different type of license which allows you to install it on whatever machine you want but you're generally only permitted to install it on a single machine. You are usually allowed, if that machine dies, to install it on a new machine. It's the same thing with most software like Office or any Adobe product. When you purchase Office, you're only purchasing a single license to install it on one machine.

So while you own the physical hardware, when it comes to software, you are simply purchasing permission to install it on a machine.

Then you get into volume/corporate licensing which is a whole different beast altogether.

[GeorgeB]

That's simply because you don't understand the differences between OEM licensing and the license for a retail purchase of Windows 7. This is comparing apples to oranges since there are different licenses involved. The sticker on the side of a computer is an OEM sticker licensed to manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo etc, and it allows them to install that OS on their machines only.

When you purchase a stand alone, retail copy of say, Windows 7, you're purchasing a different type of license which allows you to install it on whatever machine you want but you're generally only permitted to install it on a single machine. You are usually allowed, if that machine dies, to install it on a new machine. It's the same thing with most software like Office or any Adobe product. When you purchase Office, you're only purchasing a single license to install it on one machine.

So while you own the physical hardware, when it comes to software, you are simply purchasing permission to install it on a machine.

Then you get into volume/corporate licensing which is a whole different beast altogether.

I get what your saying for the most part. I do understand the difference between the two.