Microsoft Blocking Wine Users From Downloads Site (More poor business parctices by gates)

Whos on crack? Do you think because someone is using windows or mac micrososft is assured that the copy of office is legal? Hell whole nations have a street inducstries that sell illegal copies of windows and office.

Note: I said reasonable guarantee. All software can be hacked. But MS has a higher statistical probability that the user is running a valid copy of Windows/Office if the user is actually running the software and the license key is present. MS becomes aware of various piracy schemes -- and it's obviously adapting its Windows/OfficeUpdate services accordingly. I see nothing wrong with fighting piracy.

If MS was just saying you have to register your product to get updates (much like RHN) that would be fine. it means you can license a product once by its serial number and that entitlement will allow you to get updates.

I'm not going to quibble over how MS does its DRM. Point is, it has a right to do so -- and as you 'll see below with their EULA, they already informed you about it. End of story.

Please read the clayton act...

MS does not engage in price discrimination. Nor does it discriminate against customers. What it *IS* doing is verifying that the users of its product are *INDEED* customers. Personally, I would love to see you file a Clayton Act lawsuit against MS just to see you thrown out of court on your ear.

Fact is MS is going after WINE and WINE only, its not going after apple, or windows users who pirate office, or anyone else just one product. This is not about hurting piracy this is about hurting a product that is just becoming mature enough to be useful.

Read the EULA:

If you are not using a licensed copy of the Software, you are not allowed to install the Software or future Software updates.

The EULA is very clear and non-discriminatory. Microsoft needs to actually RUN the software through its primary ENVIRONMENT (Windows) in order to validate that you are a licensed user. If you're going to do emulation, a better plan would be to run Windows under a product such as VMWare.

If I have an old copy of Office 2000 that I bought but want to run on Linux am I a pirate?

No, you're SOL. You made that choice when you chose to move to Linux. Deal with it. Use OpenOffice and quit complaining.

However, doing it for something like Office would seem legally questionable.

Nope. See the previous post. The EULA is the governing agreement between you and MS. When you agreed to use the software, you agreed to its terms -- and it clearly says that it won't install the software unless you're running a legit, licensed copy.

I am not asking them to support my config, All I am asking for are the free updates they provide for the product I purchased..

Uh, yeahhhh, YOU ARE. You're asking them to support updates for the software UNDER YOUR CONFIG: Linux. The software was never tested or designed for YOUR CONFIG -- and now you're whining about not being able to get updates on YOUR CONFIG.

I dont think you understand what support in the computer industry is all about.

Dude, take a good, long, hard look in the mirror. You don't know WTF you're talking about...

Support means MS puts its name beind my config (I am not asking them to do that).

WTF do you think UPDATES are?!? It's SUPPORT, for chrissakes! Sheez...

My youre either really slow or lazy today... Did you see anywhere in thearticle where it said look for a license key? Did you see where I said I would have any problem with it looking for a key? Take youre time and get back to me on that..

I'm not going to quibble over how MS does its DRM. Point is, it has a right to do so -- and as you 'll see below with their EULA, they already informed you about it. End of story.

I suggest you read the clayton act, and I suggest you read up on contract law.

Presumably, we're talking about a legit, licensed copy. We're just talking about running it under a different environment.

I use OpenOffice.org, myself. Works OK for me.

Uh, yeahhhh, YOU ARE. You're asking them to support updates for the software UNDER YOUR CONFIG: Linux. The software was never tested or designed for YOUR CONFIG -- and now you're whining about not being able to get updates on YOUR CONFIG.

No I complaining that for no other reason than a registry entry (one which has nothing to do with the app) I am being denied access to updates for software that I purchased.

Dude, take a good, long, hard look in the mirror. You don't know WTF you're talking about... WTF do you think UPDATES are?!? It's SUPPORT, for chrissakes! Sheez...

Look you prove almost daily youre a halfwit when it comes to IT you dont need to try extra hard today. If my site supports ie and not netscape it does not mean I go out of my way to make it not work under netscape, it means I do not make any guarentees that the page will work there...