Office License woes

[Depot Denizen]

So, it's orientation, and all the new students are coming up to get info about the next four years of their life. As such, the store's getting swamped (we're open 10-2 during the orientation weekends). I sold a computer and office to a student today, and we've been giving parents and students info about the BTS specials we're having this year.

Parent and student walk in, and they want to buy office. No big deal, then the parent says, "Well, I have Works at home and I want to buy Office for myself." We offer a student license for $106, normal price is at least $300. I say that I could sell to the student, but not to the parent, and they'd have to have their ID card with them. They take off, and a few hours go by.

They come back, and still want to buy office. I had talked with my coworkers and decide that I won't sell it to her because of the license issues. So I informed her that I couldn't sell it to her because she was going to install it on her computer, and that it's against the license that we have from Microsoft. She gets angry, and says that the University of Colorado would do it for her. She leaves, and mumbles a few more things about her treatment on her way out. I'm expecting a nastygram about this later. Ah well.

We have a license through Microsoft for students, staff, and faculty. I wasn't willing to risk us losing our license because she wanted to be cheap. Unfortunately I hate being the bad guy, but I'm usually the bearer of bad news.

I'm sooo glad I'm on vacation next week.

[sld72382]

She can always go to an online vendor that doesn't require proof of student ID for an academic license. That's what I did, I got Office 2007 Pro for $175 instead of $500. That's cheaper than OEM. I refuse to pay full price for software yet don't bittorrent it because I don't want to get virused-out.

When I got the software, the box is identical to the retail version except it has "for academic use" on the top. Even the EULA when you insert the DVD is the same as the retail version and it does NOT require a student ID to install. It DOES say on the DVD that any other use of the product violates the license terms, but I doubt Microsoft is going to go after a regular user like me who just wanted to save a couple of hundred dollars.

[sms001]

says that the University of Colorado would do it for her.

Office was a mind blower for many of my clients - they absolutely could not fathom that kind of price for something so similar to what they had been using day-to-day for years (Whether it was Works, or Office at the workplace, or well, you know.)

When I told them I absolutely would not pirate it for them and offered them the alternatives - Open Office, freeware converters, etc., it was always WAY too much trouble.

ONE client in twelve years mentioned that he saw it at the college bookstore when shopping for his son - for almost three hundred dollars less. I explained academic licenses to him.

Went out and enrolled in a continuing ed class. Took his ID to the bookstore, bought himself the Student/Teacher edition, and had it ready for me to install the next Monday. STILL saved over two notes, and earned my undying respect besides.

[JustADude]

Open Office ... was always WAY too much trouble.

Okay... how is "Download, click install, done" too much trouble?

Oh, wait... if it makes sense...

[marasbaras]

Or, the OP's parent just could have kept her big mouth shut and not said "Well, I have Works at home and I want to buy Office for myself."

If you KNOW that you're going to break the license terms at least have the good sense in not informing the person who has to enforce them.

[BlaqueKatt]

We have a license through Microsoft for students, staff, and faculty. I wasn't willing to risk us losing our license because she wanted to be cheap.

looking at my husband's copy of MS office student and teacher edition it states:
Qualifying criteria
full or part-time student
home schooled student
full or part-time staff or faculty for an accredited educational institution
member of a household meeting any of the above criteria


as the daughter was a student the mother is a member of the household-she could have legally bought and used it.

[lordlundar]

Yeah, Microsoft has toned it down to a non-business use permitted. It's why the 2007 versions are labeled "Home and Student".

And yes, Microsoft will go after businesses using it. I've heard more than a few bankruptcy stories because of it.

[SilverOrb]

Personally, I have used both Microsoft Office and Open Office. I like Open office just as much as Microsoft Office. When it comes to the "Excel" feature, I actually prefer Open Office. There are a few features on there I really love.

[Pedersen]

If you KNOW that you're going to break the license terms at least have the good sense in not informing the person who has to enforce them.

Wow, Depot Denizen is legal counsel for Microsoft? I'd personally expect many more, and much better, sucky customer stories.

Oh, he's not? Well, then, that makes him a law enforcement officer of some variety. I can understand waiting to share those, stories, since (as I understand it) there's a need to keep certain aspects under wraps until the trial conclude.

Wait, not an LEO, either? Then he does not have to enforce the license. He might have other reasons (such as store policy), but that is not the same thing.

[Depot Denizen]

looking at my husband's copy of MS office student and teacher edition it states:
Qualifying criteria
full or part-time student
home schooled student
full or part-time staff or faculty for an accredited educational institution
member of a household meeting any of the above criteria


as the daughter was a student the mother is a member of the household-she could have legally bought and used it.

One catch, however. This is not the Office Student/Teacher version you can get at Staples or Best Buy. This is a license for Office 2007 Professional Plus, it comes on a single disc along with the product key. The license agreement states that it is only for students. I don't have it on hand, so I can't quote ya.

[Depot Denizen]

I'm not an enforcer of policy from Microsoft, however, if Microsoft finds out we've been violating the license agreement by selling it to people who don't fall under the agreement, we lose our ability to sell Microsoft software licenses. As it is, we're only able to sell 90% of our stuff to staff, faculty and students. So, I can sell to her and make her happy for about five minutes, and possibly lose our ability to sell licenses, or I can say no, and she finds Office somewhere else. Hmmmmm.

~Josh

[icmedia]

OK, so I downloaded the MSLT (Microsoft Software License Terms) .pdf for Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Plus. Within, it only states (in reference to academic, a.k.a. student, license terms) that you must be a "Qualified Educational User" to activate an Academic Edition of this software. For a definition of "Qualified Educational User," the document directs you to visit http://www.microsoft.com/education, where it is stated the following:

All Microsoft eligible education customers must be located or reside in the United States. Qualified Educational Users are a those entities that both have an educational purpose or mission and meet the criteria specified below. If a controversy exists as to an organization's eligibility, Microsoft retains the right to determine in its sole discretion the eligibility of the organization for the specific transaction in question. The following are eligible to acquire Microsoft Academic Edition (AE) products in the programs indicated and are defined as Qualified Educational Users:
...
...
D) Full and Part Time Enrolled Students
Defined as full and part time enrolled students of Educational Institutions.

I have searched several pages deep in all areas of that site, and it does not state, anywhere, that members of a student's household qualify for the discount. In fact, it states quite clearly (on several pages) that only the enrolled student is eligible.

Hope that clears things up a bit.