What is a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label?
A. A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label helps you and your customers identify genuine Microsoft Windows software. Without it, your customers will not have a legal license to run their Windows software. Each COA label includes advanced anti-counterfeiting features to help verify the software’s authenticity. The COA label is included with each individual software license. For preinstalled Microsoft Windows operating systems, the COA label must be affixed by the system builder to the PC chassis. The COA label also includes the product key, which will be needed in the event the operating system needs to be reinstalled. COA labels must be distributed as part of the full System Builder software license, which also includes the hologram CD and documentation. A COA is not a software license. It is a visual aid that helps in determining whether Microsoft software is genuine. A COA should never be purchased, sold, or distributed by itself without the software it authenticates. COA labels ca
