Legal Guidance... sorta. About single user licenses, etc.

[blenderman345]

Hi all,
I recently bought a 17-inch iMac from eBay for a sweet price, it's here now, in literraly new condition. It had Leopard on it, and I wanted to wipe it, and reinstall OSX using my Macbook Pro's Tiger Disc. Wait, isn't that illegal? No. I had Tiger on my Mac, upgraded it to Leopard. Now the Tiger disc is no longer used on the computer. Unfortunately unnoticed by me the Tiger disc was a Macbook Pro install disc. So I had recently upgraded my Macbook Pro to Snow Leopard. Now, the thing was, the Tiger disc and the Leopard upgrade disc was freed up from binding to my Macbook Pro. The iMac came, I wiped it's hard drive using the Macbook Pro Tiger Disc. Whoopsie. I tried installing Tiger on the iMac. No juice. I then learned that that tiger disc was limited to use for the Macbook Pro. So then I pulled out the Snow Leopard disc (Single License), and I 'm installing it on the iMac. This is not legal. However, I am only doing so until I buy another license (this time a family license), and keep it on the computer. Is it ok, as long as I buy another license?

blenderman345

 

[Sky Blue]

Is it ok, as long as I buy another license?

Yes.

 

[pdjudd]

Wait, isn't that illegal?

The scenario you provided won't work - restore discs are machine specific - if the computer you got came with Leopard, it will not work to downgrade it back to Tiger.

So then I pulled out the Snow Leopard disc (Single License), and I 'm installing it on the iMac. This is not legal.

Technically not since you had already applied the license for that disc - it should work just fine regardless though. THe Leopard upgrade disc should work and since you are using it for the purpose of a restore you are fine - providing that the Leopard upgrade disc is too old to properly work. Can't help you there though.

However, I am only doing so until I buy another license (this time a family license), and keep it on the computer. Is it ok, as long as I buy another license?

I would call that just fine, just buy another one license copy of snow Leopard since you got one already - it will cover you. Just get it sooner rather than later.

 

[blenderman345]

Thanks guys...
(rushing to get disc)

 

[samh]

Wait, isn't that illegal? No. I had Tiger on my Mac, upgraded it to Leopard. Now the Tiger disc is no longer used on the computer.

Actually...

When you upgrade an OS to the next version, the original license is still bound to that computer. That's the difference between a 'full' and an 'upgrade' copy. Strictly speaking.