Fwd: Microsoft closes a window on charity

Mon, 16 Jul 2001 08:56:59 -0700

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I'm not sure if you can do this. My computer's OEM Win2K license
agreement says it's non-transferable, either to another person or to
another computer. This sounds like total BS to me, but it could be a
show-stopper for doing what you suggest.

Jason Axtell
axtell@alum.calberkeley.org 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ryan Bloom [mailto:rbb@ntrnet.net]
> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2001 8:21 AM
> To: CDale
> Cc: Udhay Shankar N; fork@xent.com
> Subject: Re: Fwd: Microsoft closes a window on charity
> 
> 
> 
> I'm a usual lurker here, but something struck me while reading
> these messages.  There are thousands of open source developers who 
> have bought
> computers with Windows on them, and very few of them use those
> licenses.  Many of those people all marched together to try to get
> a refund for those licenses.  Would it make sense to organize a web
> site where people who don't use their Windows licenses can donate
> them to charitable organizations.
> 
> This would give M$ a black-eye, and it would be good for the 
> charities.
> 
> Ryan
> 
> On Mon, 16 Jul 2001, CDale wrote:
> 
> > Funny.  I am going to be starting a program that will be 
> doing the same
> > thing for the low-income kids in this area, and not too 
> long ago, I was
> > telling my mom (she's a great sounding board) that I was 
> talking to ISPs
> > around here about getting free internet accounts for the 
> kids.  I was
> > saying that I couldn't use the free ones, like NetZero, 
> etc, because they
> > didn't work with Linux.  She said that maybe I could get in 
> touch with
> > someone at M$ and see if they'd just let me go ahead and 
> put Windows on
> > the machines, for free, that they'd get free advertisement, 
> blah blah.  I
> > laughed.  Ah well.  Still don't understand why it would 
> cost $600 per
> > station, though.
> > C
> > 
> > On Mon, 16 Jul 2001, Udhay Shankar N wrote:
> > 
> > >
> > > # Message forwarded by Udhay Shankar N #
> > > >Subject: [IRR] Fwd: Microsoft closes a window on charity Date:
> > > >Mon, 16 Jul 2001 19:47:05 +1000
> > > >From: edited
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Two questions:
> > > >
> > > >      are their lawyers from another planet?
> > > >
> > > >      will the greatest marketing company in the world
> > > >      morph into the worst legal company in the world?
> > > >
> > > >e.
> > > >
> > > >Microsoft closes a window on charity
> > > >Monday 16 July, 2001 10:22 GMT+10:00
> > > >By Garry Barker, The Age
> > > >Technology Editor
> > > >http://it.mycareer.com.au/news/2001/07/10/FFXCPFO4XOC.html
> > > >
> > > >Microsoft, the world's richest software company, has 
> told a Geelong
> > > >charity group, PCs for Kids, that it must stop distributing
> > > >the secondhand computers it recycles and gives to poor 
> children until it can
> > > >obtain licences for the software they carry. The charity 
> says that to do
> > > >so would cost it up to $600 a machine, far beyond its 
> resources or the
> > > >market value of the computer. It has suspended its 
> operations and said
> > > >appeals this week to Microsoft had "fallen on deaf ears".
> > > >
> > > >The group gets its computers from corporations, 
> including Australia Post,
> > > >which have site, not individual, licences for the 
> Windows operating
> > > >system. By recycling the computers and installing on the 
> hard drives
> > > >software for which they have not paid a new licensing 
> fee, PCs for Kids
> > > >infringes Microsoft's copyright.
> > > >
> > > >Suggestions by PCs for Kids that, given the charitable 
> nature of its
> > > >work, Microsoft might waive licensing requirements have 
> so far been
> > > >fruitless. In all cases the software in dispute is 
> becoming obsolete and
> > > >is no longer supported by Microsoft. PCs for Kids has 
> admitted that what
> > > >it does is a breach of copyright but is upset that 
> Microsoft refuses to
> > > >recognise the financial impossibility of its 
> requirements. In a letter
> > > >this week to Colin Bayes, the founder and president of 
> PCs for Kids,
> > > >Vanessa Hutley, Microsoft's corporate attorney in 
> Sydney, said: "You have
> > > >acknowledged that your practices ... of hardloading the 
> software on to
> > > >PCs is an infringement of Microsoft's copyright ... 
> Microsoft must insist
> > > >that you find some other source of software ..."
> > > >
> > > >Hutley told The Age that Microsoft required that PCs for 
> Kids "work with
> > > >its donors" to obtain individual licences, CDs and 
> manuals for each
> > > >machine.
> > > >
> > > >"That would cost us up to $600 per machine. We don't 
> have that kind of
> > > >money," said Mr Bayes. "I think this is a case of greed and
> > > >doubledipping. These are old, secondhand machines, 
> donated to us for
> > > >charitable purposes." Hutley said no legal action was 
> pending against PCs
> > > >for Kids.
> > > >
> > > <snip>
> > >
> > > 
> ____________________________________________________________________
> _ 
> > > Udhay Shankar N                                 Iponics 
> India Pvt Ltd
> > >                       http://www.iponics.com/
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > http://xent.com/mailman/listinfo/fork
> > >
> > 
> > 
> 
> -- 
> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> _________________
> Ryan Bloom                        	rbb@apache.org
> 406 29th St.
> San Francisco, CA 94131
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
> 
> 
> 
> http://xent.com/mailman/listinfo/fork
> 

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