1 new Airport + 1 License + 2 Computers with Office = Trouble

[Allen]

OK, here is my problem.

I have one G3 imac, one g4 imac and one g4 laptop computer. i put my
office for mac on the g4 imac and g4 laptop computers. as far as i can
tell this is not a problem, hence the note below off of the microsoft
website.

"The license agreement for Office v. X allows you to install your
licensed copy of Office on a single computer, such as a desktop
computer or workstation, and allows you, as the primary user of such
computer, to install a second copy on your portable computer, such as
a laptop, for your own personal use. The license agreement does not
allow you to share your copy of Office with another person."

However, i recently installed apple airport on my computers (so my
kids can go online at the same time and play internet games on the g3,
no office, imac and the g4 with office imac) and now that constitutes
a LAN if i am not mistaken, and that (one office license on a LAN) is
a no-no. is this why i am getting the message the following message?

"An Office program is being used by Allen Dunahoo. Your installation
exceeds the number of installations permitted by the license
agreement."

so, am i going to have to purchase a 2nd Office or have i missed
something?

as it stands now i am unable to use my Office Applications on my
Laptop.

thanks for the imput in advance.

 

[Mark Weinreb]

Although you can install one copy of Office on both a desktop and a laptop
at the same time, you cannot use it on both at the same time. Now that you
have a network, Office is able to check this and prevent it from happening.

Therefore, if you're running Entourage on your G4 iMac and decide to run
Word on your laptop, you won't be able to (you'll get the message you're
getting). Note that it doesn't have to be the same Office program, just any
Office component.

 

[Tom Hofmaenner]

Got the same problem! I have three Macs and have installed Office X on
all of them. I am a freelance translator and do need the three
computers for myself. One I work on, the second is the backup and the
third, an iBook, I take along to clients. All are connected by
airport, i.e. a LAN. It does occasionally happen, that I try to use an
Office program on two computers and I get the same warning. I
disconnect one computer, usually the backup, from the network and
start the program again, and it works fine.

Having said this, I am still mighty annoyed at Microsoft for this. I
think there are bigger issues involved here. Firstly, I am the sole
user of the program I paid for, so I should be able to use it where
and when I want to. This is like buying an audio CD and making a copy
of it for the tape deck in the car, and the car tells me I cannot play
the album there because I already played it on the CD. Secondly, what
business (and right!) does Microsoft have to check what is running on
my computers. I think that constitutes invasion of privacy. Is
Microsoft legally entitled to do this? What prevents them from
planting some worm or other program on my computer (in the background
and without my knowledge) to do it damage? Or to read my, e.g., Word
documents? Any lawyers out there who can answer that?

I just feel a tad overwhelmed by the electronic and programming power
thrown in the direction of an honest consumer. I always thought the
burden of proof was on the prosecution. If you (Microsoft) accuse me
of using my copy of Office X illegaly, proove it to me. Don't just
shut down the program I purchased and duly registered.

Stepping down from my soapbox and returning to civilized mode,

Tom

 

[Barry N. Wainwright]

Having said this, I am still mighty annoyed at Microsoft for this.

I would suspect that Microsoft are equally annoyed at you!

I
think there are bigger issues involved here. Firstly, I am the sole
user of the program I paid for, so I should be able to use it where
and when I want to.

When you paid for the software and installed it, you agreed to a license
that restricted the way you could use the software. If you did not want to
agree to this, you could have returned the software for a full refund.

This is like buying an audio CD and making a copy
of it for the tape deck in the car, and the car tells me I cannot play
the album there because I already played it on the CD.

Not at all - the software does not know or care if it has been previously
used. It only checks to see that your serial number is not being used
elsewhere AT THE SAME TIME, which is in breach of the license conditions.

Secondly, what
business (and right!) does Microsoft have to check what is running on
my computers.

Microsoft does not 'check what is running on your computer'. It does check
how many computers it's software is being run on. The software broadcasts
it's presence onto the network and listens for responses. `there is no scan
of your other computer's hard drives carried out. This is an entirely
legitimate action, destined to prevent people from using more copies of the
software than they have paid for.

I think that constitutes invasion of privacy.

And using more copies of the software than you paid for constitutes what,
precisely?

Is
Microsoft legally entitled to do this?

Yes, you permitted this when you accepted the license and installed the
software. You also proved them morally entitled when you admitted to using
the software illegally.

What prevents them from
planting some worm or other program on my computer (in the background
and without my knowledge) to do it damage? Or to read my, e.g., Word
documents? Any lawyers out there who can answer that?

Whoa! Where did that come from? How did we get from them legitimately
checking for pirated copies to committing criminal damage? Aren't we more
entitled to consider YOU the criminal in this matter? You, after all, are
the one in breach of trust and contract.

By the way, there is a way to completely circumvent this issue and to act
entirely legally. Simply quit all office apps on the machines you are not
using. Then, start up the office apps on the machine you do want to use.
When you have finished on that machine, just quit the apps again. Voila! No
more problem with the anti-piracy checks.

Of course, you could also buy the correct number of licenses...



--
Barry Wainwright
Microsoft MVP (see http://mvp.support.microsoft.com for details)
Seen the Entourage FAQ pages? - Check them out:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>

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