By Alexandra Burlacu | Mar 07, 2013 09:05 AM EST
Users can now legally transfer their Office 2013 licenses to another computer if necessary, as Microsoft finally loosened restrictions.
Before Microsoft revised its licensing policy for Office 2013, users could not legally transfer their licenses if they bought a new computer or if the licensed one broke down.
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After a firestorm of criticism and user concerns over its licensing policy, Microsoft gave in to the pressure and amended its Office 2013 license agreement. With the new policy, Office 2013 users can transfer the software and license to another computer once every 90 days.
The previous licensing policy Microsoft had in place limited users to a perpetual license which worked only for one PC. In other words, users who bought a new PC could not benefit from the same license they had on the old one. The only exception to this rule was if a PC failed under warranty, in which case users could contact Microsoft support and activate Office 2013 on a replacement PC.
Microsoft explained its previous policy in a Feb. 19 blog post and received numerous negative comments, and it's likely that the many Office 2013 users complaining about the restrictions prompted the software giant to loosen its shackles.
As a result, Microsoft is introducing a new agreement that is arguably more user-friendly and flexible.
"You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you, but not more than one time every 90 days (except due to hardware failure, in which case you may transfer sooner," Microsoft explains in a new blog post. "If you transfer the software to another computer, that other computer becomes the 'licensed computer.' You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement before the transfer. Any time you transfer the software to a new computer, you must remove the software from the prior computer and you may not retain any copies."
The new agreement is effective immediately and it covers Office Home and Student 2013, Office Home and Business 2013, Office Professional 2013, as well as all of the standalone Office 2013 applications.
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