As long as you got the dvd and a legit serial number that hasn't been activated or registered, you should be fine.

I would think the right folks to ask about that would be MS. Sounds dicey to me...

More of an ethical call I would say. If the version of windows has never been activated, and you are not using it for commercial purposes, I don't think it violates the TOU. However, it was sold at the lower price because it's intended to help a student afford the software.

Was it ever installed and registered I think would be the question ChuckCS. 

From what you say, no.  As far as it being okay, well it goes against the intent of the version of the software, plus I'm not sure what will happen when you install it.  Because of the version of the OS it is does it 'phone home' and then ask you a bunch of questions that would only be associated with being a student?

Me personally, I wouldn't do it, but that is just me.

ianal

the discount was given at purchase.

the discount was only applicable to students

a student purchased the software.

it is ligit software, with water-marked (i presume) media and a valid serial number that has been purchased ligitmately.

it is only going to be installed on any one PC at a time.

i don't see any issue with you installing it. microsoft got a sale they may not have got (so the discount was justified). and as far as i recall though many copyright owners like people to think they're buying license not the actual software i've never heard of a case where this has been successfully tested in court. especially not a case that only involved one person.

do it. ianal

relatedly, i've bought win7 at the preorder price (~£40, yay me) it's a full copy (not OEM. i presume the same is true had i used a student discount) and i would be completly within my rights (UK) to sell or give it away when i recieve it. i don't see much of a difference as i got a discount for being early then if i had got the discount for being a student.

IIRC, no. Last I recall the license terms require that the user has and maintains the appropriate status, not just the initial purchaser.

so if a student purchases it in their final year they wouldn't be able to use it after they leave school/college/uni???

so would still have to purchase the software at full price, only now they've paid a discounted price as well!!???

I would but I figured an answer from people who can speak my language rather than people who think I want to read 10 pages of explanations would be a bit easier.

I have to agree that while MS would want people to have legit copies as oppose to cracked ones, maybe they should not make montains out of mole hills if someone who is not a student got a copy thru a person who is a student. But I just wondered, if it's a gift I don't see how it could be wrong. Don't students get discounts for items that they can give as gifts anyways?

I guess it's all about specifics and whether MS will come after me or not. I seriously doubt it but one never really knows.

Has and maintain? What if the buyer is in his last year of college, will it become illegal after he graduates? That's a bit confusing. How does one maintain a student status after school?

We are not talking a school sweather or any article like that.  Microsoft established a pricing for the 'Student Version' that was only intended to be used by those who fit the qualifications.  End of story.

You though may wish to see it differently because it will save you money.  It comes done to choices we we make everyday.

Here's a question for you, do you get upset with folks taken advantage of things meant for others, are you handicapped and look for those parking spaces?

Do what you thing is appropriate, you don't need our help in making your decision.

For what its worth, I just preordered Win 7 Ultimate from Newegg for $175, along woth another 4 gig of memory.

TDG

For what its worth, I just preordered Win 7 Ultimate from Newegg for $175, along woth another 4 gig of memory.

TDG

it's this sort of crap that makes me wonder why and what i'm paying all this money for.

Dang!!  Double post!

First, let's lay the cards out on the table.

The licensing agreement from Microsoft states that student-discounted software must be used by the student, as the discount is educational in nature. This license is non-transferable, and requires that, when the student's status is no longer student, they then cease use of the software and purchase a full license, either by purchasing a full retail copy, not an upgrade, since the original software's license has essentially expired, or by purchasing a computer bundled with the software.

So legally, if you're not a student, or no longer a student, it is illegal for you to use that software. Period. No gray areas.

Now, if it's actually been activated on another machine, and since you'll have to in order to reactivate it, you call Microsoft to give you the activation key... That's fraud. If it hasn't been activated, you could easily just install and activate the software.

All of this aside... If you activate it without being fraudulent, they aren't going to check on you. Not on one end user. They have bigger fish to fry. Now if you were doing something such as cracking the software to redistribute it, with or without financial gain on your part, they might decide to track you down, but no records are really being held. There's no part of the activation process of student-discounted software that requires you to prove your status as a student. Other than licensing, and perhaps feature set, there's no real difference.

Can you do it and get away with it? Yes. Is anyone you know likely to care? No. Are you likely to get caught and fined or something along those lines? Absolutely not.

Is it illegal? Yes.

Now it's simply a question of morals. You know the question, and the answer. Take it from there.