The othe Starmax list had a similar discussion about a year ago. A patent attorney contributed his take on the situation. As I understand it, when you buy a new computer, you are also buying a license for the OS. The license is non-transferable. So if you make a copy of the OS and give it away (or sell it), that is a copyright infringement. If the person to whom you give it (or sell it) uses it, that is also illegal (he did not purchase a license to use the software). I think this is the reason many thrift shops (Salvation Army or other nationally known groups) no longer sell used PCs...Microsoft insisted that the OS be wiped from their hard drives, and the thrift shops don't have the manpower and/or expertise to wipe them.
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