Office 2013 License Makes The First Computer It Is Installed On Its Permanent Home

In what is being called a move to get users to gravitate towards Office 365, Microsoft has confirmed to the folks over at Computerworld that an Office 2013 license locks the software suite to the first computer upon which it is installed, leaving users who buy a new computer out of luck. This is a change from the end user license agreement of times gone by, which allowed the license to be used on a different computer.

The new EULA for Office 2013 reads: "Our software license is permanently assigned to the licensed computer." Meaning that it is permanently attached to the first computer upon which it is applied, forcing those who update to a new computer to buy a new license, something that was never necessary in the past.

To confirm the language in the EULA, the folks at Computerworld sent Microsoft a message clarifying that once Office 2013 is activated on a computer, the license cannot be reused on a different computer, to which the response was "Correct." In an attempt to further clarify, Microsoft was then asked whether the EULA prevented users who replaced their computer from reusing their license again on the new PC, to which the company responded that it had no comment.

What is Microsoft's end goal in changing its Office retail license? To get more users to gravitate to Office 365, it would seem. According to a Microsoft spokesperson, "We've been very clear in all of our communications that customers seeking transferability should get Office 365 and that Office 2013 is licensed to one device."

[via Computerworld]