[Discuss] LibreOffice and .docx files

[Matthew Gillen]

On 12/11/2017 11:38 PM, Shirley Márquez Dúlcey wrote:
> The catch is licensing. The Windows license that came with your
> computer doesn't cover running it in a virtual machine. You'll have to
> buy a full retail license to do that legally.

Sorry to come to this thread late, but I don't think this is true
anymore (it was definitely true pre-Windows7).  Starting with win7, they
changed the OEM license rules:

 Licensing Windows desktop operating system for use with virtual machines
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/8/D/98D6A56C-4D79-40F4-8462-DA3ECBA2DC2C/Licensing_Windows_Desktop_OS_for_Virtual_Machines.pdf

> For Windows desktop operating system software licenses acquired
> through the OEM channel, the Windows use rights are outlined in the
> Software License Terms that accompany the software. These license
> terms provide use rights to run Windows locally on the licensed
> device in a virtual operating system environment (OSE).

So as long as you're running the windows VM on the hardware that the OEM
Windows copy was originally shipped with, you're legal.  I've confirmed
this works with at least the Dell OEM Win7 from a few years ago.

Thanks,
Matt