Ted the Penguin

You don’t own what you buy

So with most software and hardware, if you purchase it, it’s yours. With the new Microsoft Vista however, you don’t own it. Microsoft is ‘allowing’ you to use a copy of their software if you pay them. If they decide that they don’t want you to have it anymore, even though you paid for it, they’re allowed based off the user agreement in Vista.

According to SecurityFocus, and direct from the End User License Agreement (EULA) of Windows Vista,

Before you activate, you have the right to use the version of the software installed during the installation process. Your right to use the software after the time specified in the installation process is limited unless it is activated. This is to prevent its unlicensed use. You will not be able to continue using the software after that time if you do not activate it.

Basically put, if you shell out several hundred dollars for the new Windows, then don’t allow it to contact Microsoft and send info to them, it’ll stop working.

Ok, so you pony up.  Agree to send them information to activate it to make sure it’s genuine.  Many companies do this.  Adobe comes to mind.  Whoops.  Not so fast.

You see, even after you activate the software it will, according to the EULA, “from time to time validate the software, update or require download of the validation feature of the software.” It will once again “send information about the . . . version and product key of the software, and the Internet protocol address of the device.”

…. [The EULA] just says that they have the right to limit your ability to use features - pretty much any features they decide to at any date. And guess what. You agreed to it.

Remember, you don’t own this software. Microsoft does.  You just purchased a license for it.  They control it.  They own it.  They decide what you can and can’t do with it.  They can also decide if you’ve broken that agreement, without any comment from you.

They have the right to unilaterally decide that you didn’t keep up your end of the contract, for example you didn’t properly register the product, you weren’t able to demonstrate that it was genuine, and so on, and therefore they have the right to shut you off or shut you down. So, what gives them the right? Apparently, the very contract that they now claim you violated.

Oh, and if it shuts off and destroys your data, makes something unrecoverable, or causes any damages… they’re not liable.  They might reimburse you for part of the cost of Vista… maybe.

Linux is looking better and better.  Or hell, Apple.