Tell me more ×
Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 0 down vote favorite

This isn't a one-off scenario, but could't see a like question here, so here goes..

The nuts & bolts are that I want to offer software as a Trial by issuing a VM with it pre-installed. While this seems like a great idea, the main issue I see is Licensing.

The software we produce runs on windows, and this isn't going to change in the foreseeable future. Our software would therefore be distributed in a VM (available for lets say 28 days) and would include a SQL Express instance running on Windows 7.

I'd be interested in seeing what others have done in this scenario, and what was done to work within legal licensing. Does MS have specific licencing to enable us to deploy these?

NB the VM's would be given to people who contact us, rather than being available willy-nilly as a download from a web site.

Many thanks :)

share|improve this question
You are going to have to distrubute the trial in some other way. I am pretty sure Microsoft would have a problem with some random party giving away Virtual Machines even modified virtual machines they give away( with a trial of Windows and SQL Server ) on their behalf. My suggestion create an installer instead. – Ramhound Sep 24 '12 at 10:41
I'm sorry, but we're no lawyers and can't provide you with answers to legal questions. These are off topic for Super User since the answers heavily depend on your local laws. Note that for example some countries might not enforce software licenses in any way. Please consult a lawyer if you're serious about this and want to make sure you're on the safe side. – slhck♦ Sep 24 '12 at 11:13
Personal opinion, but why even the VM installation? You could just hardcode some deadline or use some other licensing checks to keep the trial user from simply reinstalling. By allowing him to install the software you can also show that it's easy to install and get started. Preinstalled it might look like you're trying to hide some complicated setup stuff, which could lessen his experience. – Mario Sep 24 '12 at 11:16
@Mario, our product has a back end as well as multiple clients. I thought that with a VM we'd be able to distribute a complete setup in one go very easily, configured to show a default working scenario which they could then obviously play around with until the trial ended. Early days and thoughts (obviously!) :) – Fetchez la vache Sep 24 '12 at 11:22
Okay, that's bad luck then I guess. Make it cross platform and distribute the backend with Unix. :) Maybe you're able to package some kind of "express setup" including the full demo setup, so you essentially just have to double click, do the installation wizard and everythign is set up with the demo data. Would also lower the overall size to download - not everyone has GBit internet. – Mario Sep 24 '12 at 11:25

closed as off topic by Keltari, slhck♦ Sep 24 '12 at 11:11

Questions on Super User are expected to relate to computer software or computer hardware within the scope defined in the FAQ. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about closed questions here.

1 Answer

up vote 0 down vote

This would be a violation of the Microsoft license. You can not distribute a licensed, or unlicensed, copy of Windows.

Edit: FYI SQL Server Express editions are free to redistribute, but you need to read to licensing to be sure you arent violating them in some way.

share|improve this answer
That's my initial view of this as well, and why I'm asking the question - are there any legal ways of actually doing this, or is it simply a no workaround showstopper? – Fetchez la vache Sep 24 '12 at 11:04
The only way to know for sure is to ask Microsoft. – Keltari Sep 24 '12 at 11:05
That's the conclusion I'm coming to as well. – Fetchez la vache Sep 24 '12 at 11:07
I can't quite believe the question has been closed. Thanks for your help. Do you not want me to update this after I have contacted MS? I thought it was a serious question... – Fetchez la vache Sep 24 '12 at 11:16
1  
@Fetchezlavache It is a serious question, but legal questions are out of scope for this site for the reasons I mentioned above, sorry. – slhck♦ Sep 24 '12 at 11:17

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.