[Python-Dev] VC++ 2008 Express Edition now locked away?

[Robert Kern]

On 2013-03-06 16:55, Chris Angelico wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 3:46 AM, Stefan Behnel <stefan_ml at behnel.de> wrote:
>> Chris Angelico, 06.03.2013 17:30:
>>> On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 1:40 AM, Ezio Melotti wrote:
>>>> I did try a few weeks ago, when I had to download a copy of Windows
>>>> for a project.  Long story short, after 30+ minutes and a number of
>>>> confirmation emails I reached a point where I had a couple of new
>>>> accounts on MSDN/Dreamspark, a "purchased" free copy of Windows in my
>>>> e-cart, and some .exe I had to download in order to download and
>>>> verify the purchased copy.  That's where I gave up.
>>>
>>> That's the point where I'd start looking at peer-to-peer downloads.
>>> These sorts of things are often available on torrent sites; once the
>>> original publisher starts making life harder, third-party sources
>>> become more attractive.
>>
>> May I express my doubts that the license allows a redistribution of the
>> software in this form?
>
> Someone would have to check, but in most cases, software licenses
> govern the use, more than the distribution. If you're allowed to
> download it free of charge from microsoft.com, you should be able to
> get hold of it in some other way and it be exactly the same.

Sorry, but that's not how copyright works. The owner of the copyright on a work 
has to give you permission to allow you to distribute their work (modulo certain 
statutorily-defined exceptions that don't apply here). Just because you got the 
work from them free of charge doesn't mean that they have given you permission 
to redistribute it. If the agreements that you have with the copyright owner do 
not mention redistribution, you do not have permission to redistribute it.

IANAL, TINLA.

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
  that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
  an underlying truth."
   -- Umberto Eco