>I suppose that most of those CDs get lost, or the rightful owner keeps them >in order to install the OS illegally on a second, third, etc Macs. For a >second hand Mac without the OS media, one should buy a legal copy of the Mac >OS.
But you contradict yourself here. First you say that the CD gets lost or the owner keeps the CD to install the software illegally on another Mac. So you are saying the software is linked with the Mac it came with, and thus the license follows that mac, regardless of if the previous owner keeps the CD or not. But then you say if someone buys a Mac that is missing the CDs, they have to go out and purchase a new copy of the OS, rather than just accepting a duplicate from someone that has it already. So what you are saying is the license gones into limbo, neither the original owner can use it, nor the new owner. The License is NOT for the CD, the license is for the software ON the CD. It doesn't matter how you obtain that software, if you have the license, you can use legally use it. Generally speaking, in order to obtain said license, you have to buy the CD "factory" fresh (ie: not a duplicate), but there can be times that the original CD gets damaged or lost and is no longer usable. If you have a duplicate of the CD, you are free to install the software from that duplicate as long as you still retain the license for said software. So then the question becomes, is the Mac OS linked to the Mac, or linked to the purchaser of the Mac. When you sell the Mac, does the license for the OS go with it, or does it stay with the original owner unless they choose to pass it along. If the license goes with the Mac, then if you buy a used Mac, you should be free to restore it to whatever the factory configuration was. If the license stays with the original owner, then they should be free to install the software on any other computer they please, provided they stay within the guides of the license (can't run on multiple computers at a time, or whatever the agreement is). -chris <http://www.mythtech.net> -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | - Epson Stylus Color 580 Printers - new at $69 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> iMac List info: <http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/imac-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
