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Use of OEM in self-build. Permissable?

frybluff
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Posted July 16, 2012 at 1:23PM

I appreciate that OEM is intended for system builders, who are selling the end product, but have heard the arguement "I am buiding a system, and MAY sell it, in the future", but presume that's stretching a point. On many things there's not a large price difference, but for some things, like Windows, there's a huge difference between OEM, and retail, prices.

Are there potential issues/ problems, arising from the use of OEM, or is that the resposibility of the seller? On some sites, if you enqire about OEM, you get a stern warning "OEM products are intended ..."

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Forum Editor

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Posted July 16, 2012 at 1:27PM

A couple of years ago I went into all this with Microsoft in some detail. At the time I managed to elicit the information that, provided a person was using the OEM licence on a brand new, home-built machine there would not be a problem.

As far as I'm concerned that is still the position, so go ahead. If you ever get a knock on the door from a Microsoft lawyer tell him/her to contact me.

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frybluff

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Posted July 16, 2012 at 2:40PM

FE

Thanks for that. On one hand I thought someone is hardly likely to come after "littl'ol me", but then firms like Microsoft can be really "hot" on any copywright, or similar, issues.

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frybluff

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Posted July 16, 2012 at 2:41PM

PS It actually let me do a post, without having to log in, yet again. Is problem solved?

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hssutton

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Posted July 16, 2012 at 3:28PM

I've fitted OEMs on several PCs that I've built for family members. Microsoft have even re-activated an OEM on a different PC when I explained the motherboard on the original had developed a fault

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HondaMan

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Posted July 19, 2012 at 4:27PM

Why not? Several companies will happily sell you OEM software with other components. I recall Dabs.com doing it a few years back, in fact I bought a copy of Windows XP Pro for a new-build I was doing

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D@ve

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Posted July 20, 2012 at 7:41PM

I regularly buy OEM versions of Windows when building PCs for family members / friends. Never had any problems with them.

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