Is This a Copyright (EULA) Violation?

[apx_31088]

An item (XP Professional) was sold to me on eBay that had the COA removed.
After I bought the item, I asked the seller about installation without the
COA. The seller told me that I was sure to have a COA around on another
computer system that could be utilized to install the item.
I then checked around on the Microsoft web site, and it appears that
Microsoft describes that it is a copyright violation under federal law if a
COA is used to install software by a person other than a computer
manufacturer.

Was this eBay sale a violation of federal copyright law and Microsoft terms
of use?
I posted this message at (e-mail address removed) and got back a form reply
thanking me and also telling me that Microsoft will have no further
communication to me about this issue - so I guess that means that Microsoft
will not tell me if the sale is an EULA violation. Is it a EULA violation?
I need to know so I know whether to contact eBay Customer Resolution about
this sale.

 

[peter]

contact Ebay customer resolutions
what you bought was a lovely coaster that is useless without the COA

"borrowing" a COA from another already installed XP Pro
is against the EULA.

peter

 

[Wes Groleau]

An item (XP Professional) was sold to me on eBay that had the COA removed.

Lots of possible answers

If I install XP and sell you the disk with the COA,
then I am violating the EULA. If you use it with that
COA, then you are stealing.

If I erase my installation first, then
we're both legal.

If I sell you a disk because you lost yours and
need a replacement, then you should use the COA
that came with your copy. If you lost it with
the disk because you didn't transfer the sticker
to the computer, then there are utilities available
that will read your product key from your O.S.

If the reason you needed the disk is because
your system is hosed and you can't run that
utility, then you screwed yourself and shouldn't
blame the eBay guy.