Originally Posted by
stevef
It's completely legal to buy Microsoft software from sellers of decommissioned office computers at a fraction of the full price. It's not piracy, eBay vendors clearly state that they're working within the terms of the licences. I've bought operating systems and office suites by complying with the conditions. For what it's worth, I prefer Office 2003 over Office 2007. I bought the full suite and couldn't get on with its ribbon and the various flaws that argued against my choices.
Not true I'm afraid. The eBay sellers selling MS products at low prices are typically selling volume licence keys that are designed for use by large companies who need to install many copies of the software on their computers, reselling these keys on eBay is definitely outside the terms of the licence. The keys will almost certainly work when you buy them but if Microsoft become aware that they are being sold in this way they will blacklist them and your software will stop working. The typical profile of these sellers would be someone who works in an IT department and has access to the keys through their workplace and has taken it upon themselves to use this to make some easy money for themselves. Of course the sellers say they are working within the terms of the licences, they would hardly say otherwise! Volume licence keys were never intended to be "split up" and sold in this way and it is not legitimate use of the licence to do so.