Mac OS X Licensing from Mac App Store

I'm pretty sure that during the keynote Apple said the licensing for Lion was the same as for any other App Store delivered product: you can install it on multiple machines as long as each of those machines is logged in/authorised for the same App Store account.

124151155 said:

Oh wow, that's awesome.

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As someone who's bought the "Family Pack" OS upgrades in the past because I, as an individual, own multiple Macs I'm pretty happy too

robbieduncan said:

As someone who's bought the "Family Pack" OS upgrades in the past because I, as an individual, own multiple Macs I'm pretty happy too

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Agreed that this is one positive aspect to having OSX sold on the MAS. I can see apple positioning OSX for mass consumption given the price and the ability to download and install. There are certainly some negatives to this approach as well, some of which I've been vocal about. Still I can see how this can be a win for most mac users.

124151155 said:

I wonder if Microsoft will follow with this pricing? The only additional thing you get is the ability to install on any brand of hardware...

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Microsoft will not: they making business on selling software, but Apple is selling hardware, actually what they get on selling apps in app store is not that much.

Lion upgrade can be installed on all your authorised personal Macs

A household discussion spun off from a topic out about the Lion purchase process for business and education:

ftaok said:

Mac App Store rules do not have limits to the number of Macs that can be authorized. If you're lucky enough to have 50 Macs in your household that you use the same Apple ID on, then you can install Lion on all 50 Macs for the same low price of $29.99. …

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I was sceptical (imagining maybe a ten-Mac limit) but then found three MacWorld articles, some of which are widely plagiarised:

• The Mac App Store: What you need to know (2011-01-06)
• Mac App Store licensing and copy protection, explained (2011-01-08)
• The Mac App Store: It's an honor thing (2011-02-13).

In the recent Apple UK press release: The Lion upgrade can be installed on all your authorised personal Macs.

On one hand: I wonder whether Apple expects the user to have a licensed installation of 10.6.8 on each of those Macs before installation of Lion. (If the Mac doesn't have the App Store, it can't be authorised.)

On the other hand: maybe it will be within the terms of the license to authorise your Mac, for Lion purposes, after you install Lion. (Visualise: a Lion-capable Tiger Mac alongside a Lion-capable Snow Leopard Mac, with just one purchased and copied installer for Lion.)

This is another area that should become clearer after licenses are published.