Vista Home license now allows virtualization

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: Lennart Sorensen <lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/FfD2ys at public.gmane.org>

| On Thu, Jan 24, 2008 at 11:47:42AM -0500, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:

| >     This Microsoft page says "If you obtained the software pre-loaded on a
| >     device from a manufacturer, consult the license terms that came with
| >     the software on that device."

| Hmm, interesting.  Reading the license agreement on microsoft's web site
| when you select for example windows vista you get this in the
| suplemental licence PDF:

When I tried the site, it stubornly refused to show any license.
Maybe they fixed it.

| <quote>
| If you are licensed to use Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate, or
| Service Pack 1 of any of these Windows Vista editions (the "software"), you have the following license
| right. If there is a conflict with any past or future license terms for the software, this supplemental
| license term applies.
| 
| Use with Virtualization Technologies. Instead of using the software directly on the licensed device,
| you may install and use the software within only one virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on
| the licensed device. When used in a virtualized environment, content protected by digital rights
| management technology, BitLocker or any full volume disk drive encryption technology may not be as
| secure as protected content not in a virtualized environment. You should comply with all domestic and
| international laws that apply to such protected content.
| </quote>

Nice.  I don't know how to tell which of their rubric's apply: go
consult the EULA you got, or here's a bonus right.

| It doesn't mention anything about OEM or not, just that if you are
| licensed to use Vista on a given device then you are licensed to use it
| in one virtual machine instance on that same device.  At least that is
| how I read the above text.  Of course it says that it is instead of
| using it directly on the device, so no running vista as a guest under
| vista with only the one license it would appear.

Damn, they are forcing me to use Linux :-) :-)

|  I believe ultimate on
| the other hand does permit doing so with I think up to 4 guest
| instances.  I would have to check the license again.  Its not like I
| have vista ultimate or anything to actually do it with.

I've been force-fed three Vista Home licenses so far.
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