what version do I need to purchase for my church

[John]

We have some college students at church that have new versions of Office that
they install on church computers. Is this legal use of the product? The
Church is non-profit, but does that mean it's non-commercial?

Is there a way from the running office program, to know what specific
version it is relating to academic/retail/volume licensing?

 

[Harlan Grove]

John wrote...

We have some college students at church that have new versions of Office that
they install on church computers. Is this legal use of the product? The
Church is non-profit, but does that mean it's non-commercial?

Almost certainly not legal. Your church would need to pay for its
software just like it presumably pays for electricity, water, phone
lines, candles, etc.

Is there a way from the running office program, to know what specific
version it is relating to academic/retail/volume licensing?

Maybe, but if you know your church didn't buy the software running on
church PCs and these nice college students didn't provide you with the
Certificate of Autheniticity, manual and CDs for it (and your church
provided them with a receipt for their donation), there's NO DOUBT you
DON'T have a legal license no matter what the EULA may say or what
particular version is installed.

 

[Abut]

John wrote...

Almost certainly not legal. Your church would need to pay for its
software just like it presumably pays for electricity, water, phone
lines, candles, etc.


Maybe, but if you know your church didn't buy the software running on
church PCs and these nice college students didn't provide you with the
Certificate of Autheniticity, manual and CDs for it (and your church
provided them with a receipt for their donation), there's NO DOUBT you
DON'T have a legal license no matter what the EULA may say or what
particular version is installed.

The church could do worse than look at www.openoffice.org for an
alternative which is legal, free of charge, and has good compatibility
with Office.

Martin Taylor