What Is the Purpose of Microsoft Office Licensing?
Overview When you buy Microsoft Office software, you actually are paying for a license to use it. You do not own the software outright. Licensing rules protects Microsoft and the person purchasing the right to use Office. Both Microsoft and the licensee must follow terms of the licensing agreement, which may last indefinitely or only for a period of time. Intellectual Property When you buy software, you have purchased the right to use intellectual property, not a commodity. The value of the property does not exist in the disk the information is stored on but in the knowledge and expertise of the programmers. When you buy a commodity such as a TV or stereo, the value is in the object itself. When you purchase a book, you own the paper and ink but not the thoughts and feelings of the author.
