How does Licence work for OSX?

[Sunnz]

I haven't actually installed OSX myself. (Didn't need to so I didn't bother.)

But I am just wondering, how does it work?

You know on Windows you got to type in serial number and do the activation thing... how does it work for OSX?

It is said that OSX can only be installed on one Mac... but how does Apple know if it is installed on more than one Mac? (Or 5+, for the family pack?) Activation? Connects to apple and does some kind of checking??

I haven't seen anything like that mentioned on the forum... so I am under the impression that people do things properly as said in the licence so that Apple don't actually does all those check on you?

[Mikuro]

Originally Posted by Sunnz

It is said that OSX can only be installed on one Mac... but how does Apple know if it is installed on more than one Mac? (Or 5+, for the family pack?) Activation? Connects to apple and does some kind of checking??

They don't. There are no technical barriers to installing one copy of OS X on a million machines. The only exception is that the discs that come with systems are made to boot only that type of system. So you probably couldn't use your iMac's disc in a MacBook. But you could use it in a million other same-model iMacs.

Basically, Apple operates on the honor system. I suppose they think implementing an activation system would cost them more money and good will than it would be worth. They're probably right.

[Sunnz]

So most people are too happy with OSX to violate the licence? Are there many pirated copies of OSX lying around on the net??

From my experience with Windows, most people either have pre-installed OEM, or it is almost always a pirated copy. I have seen an ad on the school notice board selling a PC with XP, only to have other people wrote "Can be pirated!!1' on it!!

I guess my question is, how bad is the pirate on Mac world? On Windows it is really fun to see this on going war between hackers and Windows expert building guards and hacks around it.

[chevy]

1) You cannot buy a Mac without buying the OS: it's embedded.

2) Apple protects different software pieces with different strategies. Indeed today the MacOS itself is not protected with anything else than the link with Apple hardware.

[Sunnz]

1) That's true but that's not the point... I've seen people asking if they should buy OSX or the family pack... maybe it is an upgrade? Can't remember.

[ora]

In the community its pretty bad. I have even seen mac piracy sites offering scary amounts of software who will not share apple software.

Also, the reason you don't see piracy discussed here is that Scott enforces a strict no tolerance policy here, to keep this a happy legal community.

[eric2006]

Apple may know that you've abused your licenses: on install, it nags you to register. With the developer release, they can see how many people took the update, as a count as to how many developer releases are pirated. I haven't heard of them actually prosecuting people, though.
I guess they don't have to worry quite as much as Microsoft, because they're already profiting from you using an Apple computer.
Still, don't abuse your license. The family pack costs less than 2 single-user installs, but you get 5 installs (in the same household). It's actually a pretty cheap OS, considering what it does.

[brandN]

if you have to reinstall mac osx can you do that with the same license on the same computer?