Pirating Software

[WinXPUser17]

I have a question..............I purchased a computer from Rent-A-Center IM not sure if any one is familiar with this company, but anyway I bought this computer and on the tower it is designed for Windows 98 Second Edition........and they loaded it with Windows XP and theydid not give me a product Key. Could the my copy of Windows XP be pirated and if so could I bring a law suit against them for this.

By the way the computer i purchased before this one was bundled with a Windows XP CD and I know it is not to be distributed in any way but I used that CD to reinstall windows thinking that I could use the product key on the tower I got from rent a center to activate my copy and realized that it wasnt for windows XP it was for 98 ...........did I commit a crime also

Please give me your input

 

[Inaris]

It sounds slightly suspicious, yes. As to whether or not you can sue them, I don't think you can unless you can prove that they were putting you in some kind of danger by using a pirated copy of XP.
Then again, they could have an OEM license agreement with Microsoft for this exact reason. But if they don't want to sell you the OS with it, they sell it to you AS IS without warranty or support.
The only thing you could possibly do would be to contact Microsoft and advise them of what you know. It is up to them to follow though with this. And who knows, maybe if you helped them stop pirating you could get a free copy of XP...

 

[horris1st]

I think its up to you to remove it and put your own software on. Another computer company did this, and they asked you to format, and put your own software on because they were not supplying the CD key. Its not illiagal, becuase they are not selling you any software.


So no i think it would be highly unlikely to bring a law suit against them, if they were doing something illigal, i think only microsoft will be able to do that. What would you claim for?

 

[WinXPUser17]

Thanx For the helpful information.......The reason why I was asking is because I was calling some computer stores to see how much It would cost to get Windows XP reinstalled on my PC and thats what I was told because she asked me if Windows XP was on it and I said Yes. Then she asked if I had a licensed Product Key and I said No. And then she asked me if it was pirated and I said no........and she said how could that be unless you are pirating the software and I explained the situation and she said that the Rent A Center what they did could be illegal............well thanx alot sorry for all the yes and no's i bet it was confusing.

 

[WinXPUser17]

By the way the computer i purchased before this one was bundled with a Windows XP CD and I know it is not to be distributed in any way but I used that CD to reinstall windows thinking that I could use the product key on the tower I got from rent a center to activate my copy and realized that it wasnt for windows XP it was for 98 ...........did I commit a crime also because I didn't use it with the computer it was distributed with....

Please give me your input

 

[CplusX2]

just contact the rent a center and ask for a key? If they won't give you one then ask them why. Maybe there is just a communication issue here, and the salesperson may not know the answer, so speak with someone who does. I would not mention lawsuits or ilegal to them either.

 

[WinXPUser17]

Thanx for all your guys inputs I called the Rent A Center they will redo my Windows XP free of charge so thanx alot Best Wishes to all of you who gave some input....

 

[DeadMan789]

You can download a program that will give you your current cd-key send this key to microsoft and check if this key is being used by anyone else or if it is pirated

 

[killians45]

also, technically you using you other computers cd key maybe illegal unless you removed XP from the other machine. Unless a different circumstance, like a business or some such, most normal home users have a license for 1 system. If you were to put it on another system, it has to be removed from the original system (to be legal). You can buy multiple license agreements from MS in certain cases. Just visit the web site.

 

[silence782]

I've dealt with rent-a-center before, their not know for being moral.