An Israeli blogger named Aviran Mordo gets a letter from Alex Kochis, Senior License Compliance Manager at Microsoft Corp. with “clarifications of the Windows XP Product Activation changes and how it will affect end users.” (I wonder why I didn’t hear from Alex?)
In brief:
- Users of genuine Windows will experience no impact
- The intent is to dissuade the theft or misuse of the Certificate of Authenticity or accompanying product key
- Honest resellers have requested that Microsoft close this loophole so that they can compete effectively and they are extremely supportive of this effort
On Monday, Microsoft disabled Internet activation for all Microsoft Windows XP product keys located on COA labels that are adhered to PCs from large, OEMs who have direct licensing agreements with Microsoft. Directly licensed OEMs are authorized by Microsoft to customize their branded re-installation and recovery media so that if installed on the hardware it shipped with the Windows XP operating system will not require end-user activation.
Internet based product activation will remain available to all customers using products that require product activation today. The only attempts at activation that will be rejected are those using product keys that were pre-activated for the hardware they shipped with by OEMs on behalf of customers.
The intent is to dissuade the theft and misuse of COAs, and therefore, protect customers from counterfeiters and pirates. Honest resellers have also requested that Microsoft close this loophole so that they can compete effectively and are extremely supportive of this effort.
Of course, he could have just sent a link to my page on the subject, which explained Product Activation in detail. Once again, this is an example of Microsoft doing a reasonable thing, communicating about it in a terrible way, and then having to clean up the PR mess afterwards.
(Via Neowin.net)
Ed Bott 