Hello:

One of our DBAs told me that, if a client has purchased SQL 2005, then the
SQL can be downloaded from the MSDN website. All well and good.

But, I asked him about the licensing and registration keys for an install of
SQL Server 2005 Standard 64-bit. He says that the built-in keys in the
install are OK to deploy and for both 32 and 64-bit, since the client has
purchased SQL.

Isn't that a licensing violation? I mean, true--there is not a way to
overwrite the hard-coded registration keys in the MSDN install. But, it
seems odd to me that reg keys do not have to be entered.

SQL Programmer (it's just a name)

As long as you have the licenses on hand when the auditors show up, it
doesn't really matter where the media came from. Also licenses are
transferrable between x86 and x64, AFAIK.

However, I am not a lawyer nor am I a licensing official, so considering the
potential consequences, you should be safe and rely on your MSFT licensing
rep, not public opinion.





On 7/8/09 8:21 AM, in article
227D628E-16BD-40B2-8C39-DA045089F6CC...soft (DOT) com, "SQL Programmer"
<SQLProgrammer (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote:

Sure.....thanks, Aaron!


"Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]" wrote:

For the 32 versus 64-bit, there is no difference between these two for
licensing purpose: Microsoft considers them to be exactly the same version
(for licensing) and you can migrate a 32 bit installation to a 64 bit
installation using the same activation key provided that you can get your
hands on the corresponding media.

For using the MSDN media in place of a retail media, it's not legal because
these two medias are not binary identical in the case of SQL-Server.

For getting your hand on a copy of the 64 bit media, your favorite reseller
should be able to provide you with that.

If you are an user of the volume licensing or the software quality insurance
licensing, you can call the Microsoft Worldwide Fulfillment at 800-248-0655
to get a copy of the media; however, as you didn't make any mention of
Volume Licensing, I don't think that this will work for you (but you lose
nothing trying).

--
Sylvain Lafontaine, ing.
MVP - Windows Live Platform
Email: sylvain2009 sylvainlafontaine com (fill the blanks, no spam please)
Independent consultant and remote programming for Access and SQL-Server
(French)


"SQL Programmer" <SQLProgrammer (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

This is not true, at least the last time I talked to anyone at MS about it,
this was the case. The only difference is that the MSDN version of setup
comes pre-pidded and lays down slightly different values in the registry
(this affects how certain SERVERPROPERTY() values come back).

Unless you know of a case where someone got busted for piracy because they
were using the MSDN bits, even though they were fully licensed in hand?

A

Hi Aaron,

I also asked this question explicitly to an MS licensing expert last year
and she told me that using MSDN versions for production environments is
illegal.

--
Ekrem Önsoy - SQL Server MVP


"Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]" <ten.xoc (AT) dnartreb (DOT) noraa>, iletisinde sunu
yazdi, news:C67AE411.2FFBA%ten.xoc (AT) dnartreb (DOT) noraa...

Interesting subject... I mean I'm not sure if using an MSDN version SQL
Server is legal even if you have a license for the retail version. I'll talk
about this to a licensing expert when I bump into one.

--
Ekrem Önsoy - SQL Server MVP



"Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]" <ten.xoc (AT) dnartreb (DOT) noraa>, iletisinde sunu
yazdi, news:C67E4FA2.302AB%ten.xoc (AT) dnartreb (DOT) noraa...

I think that's a different question. Obviously running MSDN in production
is illegal if all you've purchased is an MSDN license.

The feedback I am still getting today is that the important part is the
actual license and not which bits you physically installed.