Microsoft office 2010 on a desktop & a laptop someone else uses.

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casewindow

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#113028 3-Jan-2013 08:02

I have Office 2010 Retail through the Home Use Program (basically insanely cheap Office because my company has an agreement with Microsoft to give employees cheap Office).

The official license terms in the EULA say this:

2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
a. One Copy per Device. You may install one copy of the software on one device. That device is the “licensed device.”
b. Licensed Device. You may only use one copy of the software on the licensed device at a time.
c. Portable Device. You may install another copy of the software on a portable device for use by the single primary user of the licensed device.

However, I am wondering, if the Laptop I bought is then used a lot by someone else in the Family who lives mostly away from home - I guess this technically breaks the rule in the license?

heavenlywild

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#739571 3-Jan-2013 08:11

Your assumption would be correct. But then again, no one's going to police it in your home so come on, less pondering, more using!

casewindow

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#739588 3-Jan-2013 09:00

I know no one will police it - but I am wondering about whether either install of Office could become deactivated somehow through some flakey MS 'detection' that determines two different internet connections are being used etc. etc.

gehenna

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#739601 3-Jan-2013 09:34

casewindow: I know no one will police it - but I am wondering about whether either install of Office could become deactivated somehow through some flakey MS 'detection' that determines two different internet connections are being used etc. etc.

Nope that won't happen. You can put down your tinfoil hat now and rest easy :)

raytaylor

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#739875 3-Jan-2013 19:48

casewindow: I know no one will police it - but I am wondering about whether either install of Office could become deactivated somehow through some flakey MS 'detection' that determines two different internet connections are being used etc. etc.

That wont happen - but -

If your company upgrades to office 2013, and cancels the 2010 subscription, it will stop working for your friend when his copy does its next license check.

Ray Taylor

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lucky015

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#739891 3-Jan-2013 20:33

raytaylor:
casewindow: I know no one will police it - but I am wondering about whether either install of Office could become deactivated somehow through some flakey MS 'detection' that determines two different internet connections are being used etc. etc.

That wont happen - but -

If your company upgrades to office 2013, and cancels the 2010 subscription, it will stop working for your friend when his copy does its next license check.

Is that tied to the office version used within the company or what they have agreed to have offered to their employees? At work I am offered 2010 but we use 2007 on all work machines.

raytaylor

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#739892 3-Jan-2013 20:36

lucky015:
raytaylor:
casewindow: I know no one will police it - but I am wondering about whether either install of Office could become deactivated somehow through some flakey MS 'detection' that determines two different internet connections are being used etc. etc.

That wont happen - but -

If your company upgrades to office 2013, and cancels the 2010 subscription, it will stop working for your friend when his copy does its next license check.

Is that tied to the office version used within the company or what they have agreed to have offered to their employees? At work I am offered 2010 but we use 2007 on all work machines.

Its the licence code.

Eg. The company may pay $X per year for a 2007 code, and/or $Y per year for a 2010 code. They can install it on however many machines (and sub machines such as your personal laptop) as their licencing agreement allows.

Once they decide to stop paying, the licence code is closed off, (assuming they are leasing and havent purchased) and next time the software does a licence check, it will come back as valid or invalid.

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casewindow

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#739922 3-Jan-2013 21:24

Does that also apply to the Home User Program? It appears from the Home Use Program FAQ that the two things that make you eligible are that your company keeps up with the Software Assurance Program and that you stay as an employee. It doesn't seem to say anything about versions?

http://www.microsofthup.com/hupus/faq.aspx

"The functionality of the products available via HUP matches those of retail versions, and provide all the benefits you would receive if you bought it at the store. However, your right to use this software is tied to your company’s continued Software Assurance coverage and your continued employment with that company. Your employer will notify you if their Software Assurance coverage expires."

Wade

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#739924 3-Jan-2013 21:38

Bugger, I didn't know that, I am still using (yes, I know I shouldn't be :P ) Office 2010 through a previous employers HUP. Given their history for upgrading to every new MS release I guess they will run with 2013 once available :(

I suppose the good news is my current employer also offers HUP :P had better buy a licence through them, given my work laptop is still running XP and office 2003 it is safe to say they will keep a current 2010 licence for more than a few years

allan

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#739928 3-Jan-2013 21:42

raytaylor: Its the licence code.

Eg. The company may pay $X per year for a 2007 code, and/or $Y per year for a 2010 code. They can install it on however many machines (and sub machines such as your personal laptop) as their licencing agreement allows.

Once they decide to stop paying, the licence code is closed off, (assuming they are leasing and havent purchased) and next time the software does a licence check, it will come back as valid or invalid.

This is not how volume licensing works. Companies will usually make an initial purchase and then continue to pay Software Assurance ("maintenance") providing rights to use the latest released version. They are also entitled to use any prior version of the software. If they stop paying, the software does not stop working - they can continue to use the version current at the time Software Assurance ceases.

The only situation in which the ongoing use stops, is in a monthly subscription based model - which is not that common really.

Also, "Home Use" license keys are completely different to the license keys used by the parent company. Each "Home Use" user has to initiate the purchase themselves.

In the case of lucky015 I imagine that his employer currently has Volume License rights to Office 2010, which is why he is being offered it under Home Use rights, but his employers have continued to use Office 2007, which they are entitled to do.

I should also say that to my knowledge, there is no mechanism in place that checks ongoing "illegal" use of Home Use products.

raytaylor

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#739941 3-Jan-2013 22:23

allan:

I should also say that to my knowledge, there is no mechanism in place that checks ongoing "illegal" use of Home Use products.

Cool - thanks for clearing that up.

Are you sure about the ongoing checks?
Last year we started seeing laptops running KMService triggering antivirus programs - found out to be cracked versions of office runnng on the users computers. The service seems to continue to run so it can keep office happy.
I could be thinking of something else.

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allan

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#739954 3-Jan-2013 22:48

I would say that the Home Use keys continue to be genuinely valid, as there is no actual process in place to expire them,

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lchiu7

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#740007 4-Jan-2013 08:41

If your firm's SA expires after (normally 3 years) then you are not supposed to use the home software anymore since the home use program (HUP) is a benefit of a current SA plan.

The organisation can still use the software since it was bought and usage rights are not tied with SA which provides additional benefits, HUP being one of them.

Still I am not aware that Microsoft enforces that condition either so it's a conscience thing.

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