"Microsoft Word non-commercial use"

So I just recently noticed that my copy of Microsoft Word is apparently labeled as being for "non-commercial use". From what I can tell from their website, this means that, if I write an article for the local newspaper using Microsoft Word, I'm breaking the law (unless I upgrade to a professional/business version).

If I'm understanding this correctly, can this really be legal? What gives Microsoft the right to decide how I use the software? How is that any different from them putting in a clause saying I can't use Microsoft Word to write anything that speaks positively of Apple Computers?

I thought that just meant you'd be breaking the law if you copied the software and sold it to someone else.

If I remember right, there's a home edition and then an office edition of Word. Long story short, LEGAL BULLSHIT.

Is there any difference between office word and home word?

Just another one of those things which is technically illegal but will never actually be enforced.

Umm... one comes with the office oriented computer and one comes with the home PC? There's probably some differences in regard to security, but for the average user: Jack squat difference.

Well, another reason why we should all switch to open office and why open source is the future..

Unless someone wants to do some freelance writing work without breaking the law, it seems.

edited 31st Jul '11 3:35:43 AM by RavenWilder

Seriously, though, it gets more moronic the more I think about it. If anyone REALLY wants to use MS Word home edition for commercial use and avoid breaking the law, he/she can simply just.. copy and paste everything into Open Office and save it from there? Not sure why anyone would bother, but still..

Correct me if I wrong but I'm fairly sure Microsoft doesn't have a leg to stand if they were dumb enough to take it to court. If you purchase it legally, it's your software. It's like trying to sell to lemons and telling people you not allow to make lemonade from them.

edited 31st Jul '11 5:06:46 AM by joeyjojo

If you want to get around it just send the document (as it is) to another computer with the "office" version and then copy it and print it off.

actuaslly, legally speaking, no, it isnt.

You dont own shit.

Yeah, it's never your own software. What you own is the right to use it until such time as they rescind it.

/I think your confusing intellectual property with distribution rights.

edited 31st Jul '11 5:39:13 AM by joeyjojo

Nope. Check the licence agreements - you never actually own the property, and the company always has the option to revoke it. Hell check any kind of card produced by a bank (debit, credit, store, whatever). It remains their property, they just allow you to use it.

And has it ever stood up in court? Because a user end agreement is hardly on the same footing as a legal contact.

I'd certainly say it's legally enforcable. Terms and conditions very often are, why should a user-licence agreement be different?

The argument for why they shouldn't be binding is that you see and agree to them after you have paid and software can seldom be refunded.

Do you actually know of a test case through that supported it? It's certainly true Microsoft likes people to believe it retains ownership. But It would have overturn First-sale doctrine and get it's products legally classified as being lease to do so.

edited 31st Jul '11 6:44:37 AM by joeyjojo

Doesn't need to be refunded, they can just take it from you. Steam have done exactly that in the past.

Steam is a different animal. Steam is free, you can view the rules and regulations freely; you're only charged when you download a premium game from it, which, as far as I know, doesn't have other restrictions pertaining to Steam, besides the generic ones that are applicable to all Steam games.

The contrast with a physical copy of a game is that you actually cannot read these additional rules until you've already bought the thing.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in that, of course.

edited 31st Jul '11 7:21:21 AM by Karkadinn

Well, it does mention on the box what website you can go to to view the terms and conditions, but in only in small print on the narrow side of the box.

Hmm, how long do patents take to expire? I might be able to just use an older version of Word.

edited 31st Jul '11 7:26:36 AM by RavenWilder

Patents take 20 years, but copyright is something ludicrous like lifetime of the author + 90 years.

Well, software would count as a patent right? Still, I don't think I want to use a word processor from 20 years ago.

edited 31st Jul '11 8:31:22 AM by RavenWilder

^ They haven't changed that much since then.