Volume customers with computers that have been intentionally or unintentionally set up with a nonlegal version of Windows can now work with volume resellers to become properly licensed for Windows XP. Although earlier programs let retail customers get discounted legal copies of Windows to replace pirated or counterfeit copies, volume customers have not had a discounted route to legalization. Get Genuine Windows Agreements are now available through volume resellers and Large Account Resellers (LARs), and provide legal product keys for copies of Windows and, in many cases, the option to get legal without having to reinstall the OS.

The Mislicensing Problem

Legalization programs for volume customers let them get what their PCs should have had in the first place: a full copy of the Windows OS from an OEM. Full copies of Windows are not available through standard Microsoft volume programs—the company sells only upgrades that way.

Customers could have acquired an improperly or unlicensed copy of the OS on a PC in several ways, including the following:

• Purchasing PCs from an OEM that installs pirated or illegally obtained volume software on the PCs
• Purchasing bare PCs and putting pirated or illegally obtained volume software on them
• Transferring OEM copies of the OS from one machine (e.g., a machine being taken out of service) to another, which is forbidden by Microsoft's rules governing OEM software.

Customers may not be aware that their software is not legal until they try to download updates or other software from Microsoft and the company's Windows Genuine Advantage software determines that the software is mislicensed.

Microsoft has generally required customers to "get genuine," the company's term for bringing software into compliance with its licensing requirements, by buying new retail or OEM copies of the software. For example, one amnesty program gives customers a discount on a legal copy of the software if they provide a receipt and information about the company that sold them an illegal copy. But organizations with many computers have not had a way to bring their computers into compliance by purchasing the proper licenses through a volume reseller.

Get Genuine Initiatives

In 2006, Microsoft announced the Get Genuine Kit, available as a single copy of Windows XP or in a bundle of 10 licenses. The kits contain a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) for each license, and one copy of Windows XP per kit. Customers can affix the COA to each computer they want to license and run the Windows Product Key Update tool to assign the product key on the COA to the copy of Windows running on the machine. In many cases, customers are not required to reinstall Windows.

Like all OEM licenses, these are not transferable to another computer, but unlike most OEM licenses, which dictate that the OEM supports the software, Microsoft provides technical support for them.

In Oct. 2007, Microsoft broadened its legalization program to include volume licensing channels. Get Genuine Windows Agreements lets volume license customers obtain legal Windows XP media and volume license keys needed to activate XP installations through volume reseller channels. They get the right to install as many copies of XP as are covered by their volume license keys; like standard OEM licenses, once installed, these copies of Windows cannot be transferred to other PCs. Organizations also agree to buy legal licenses going forward and to conduct audits if requested.

A Partial Solution

The Get Genuine Windows Agreements are not necessarily an inexpensive path to legalization.

Microsoft does not set retail prices, but estimates that these kits will retail for about US$183 for each legal license of Windows XP. In addition, customers who anticipate that they might want to upgrade to Vista in the future will need to purchase Software Assurance on these licenses, which coasts an additional US$108 (or lower, depending on their volume) for two years.

Some firms may find it less expensive to buy packages of OEM software, which can be obtained for less than US$140 and are available in packs of up to 30 units.

Retail copies, though slightly more expensive than OEM versions (they are available for less than US$200 through Internet sources), have the advantage that they can be transferred to different computers, such as when an organization replaces an older computer with a new one. Retail and OEM versions can be upgraded through retail or volume upgrade programs.

Nevertheless, the new agreements offer several advantages over purchasing retail or OEM software to get legal.

• No reinstallation of software may be necessary (although Microsoft often warns that nonlegal copies may contain malicious software)
• Microsoft supports the OS
• Customers do not end up with many copies of the Windows OS that they must store and manage
• In many cases, Microsoft Financing is available, which can spread costs over several years.

More information about legalization solutions is available at www.microsoft.com/piracy/knowthefacts/LegalizationSolutions.aspx.