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Navigating Microsoft License Verification Audits

Microsoft, like other software publishers, routinely audits customers to help ensure that it is protecting the value of its intellectual property.  Microsoft verifies its customers’ compliance using several methods. Microsoft License Verification (also, Software Asset Management “SAM” request). In a SAM request, Microsoft assigns a third party to reach out to a customer to confirm…

201907.10
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Licensing Old Microsoft Products

Businesses seeking to license older versions of Microsoft products may encounter challenges acquiring valid licenses.  This is a particular concern for some companies that utilize Microsoft products as the basis for their IT infrastructure and that want to avoid a costly migration to new software versions. Microsoft offers a number of options under its Volume…

201602.23
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Microsoft Certificates of Authenticity May Not Constitute Proof of Licensing

The Business Software Alliance (“BSA”) and Software Industry & Information Association (“SIIA”) work on behalf of their members (the lists of which include Microsoft (for the BSA), Adobe, and Autodesk, among others) to enforce copyrights and the terms of end user license agreements (“EULAs”) pertaining to those members’ software products. The BSA and SIIA typically…

201602.23
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Microsoft Licensing Considerations

Generally when purchasing new software online, or upgrading existing software, a box pops up on the computer that says “Agree to Terms”.  Most people simply check the appropriate box and click next without reading the fine print.  This can be troublesome when the Business Software Alliance (BSA), which represents major software companies such as Microsoft,…