Can I sell my Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 package?

Q I recently bought Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 (on CD) from a retail shop. I understand that this comes with licences for use on up to three PCs. However, I have decided that I want to uninstall it from my PC and instead buy and use the 2010 version (for the new features).

Can I sell the 2007 version and can the buyer use it? I have tried looking through Microsoft’s website for the answer but to no avail.
Bob Cyclist

A Like all software, Microsoft’s products are sold under licence. So, while you may buy or possess a physical disc, the licence may not be transferable. Have a look at the Microsoft website where it publishes the licence terms for all its products online.

The good news for you is that the licence of the retail version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 is transferable. Specifically, the licence states that the “first user of the software may make a one-time transfer of the software, and this agreement, directly to a third party. The first user must uninstall the software before transferring it separately from the device.”

So you are free to go ahead and sell the physical product and its licence and the buyer is entitled to install and use it. When they do, though, the software will demand to be activated anew. To do this the buyer must call a telephone number and explain the situation to Microsoft.

Note, though, that Microsoft requires you to include the proof of the licence, which is the Certificate of Authenticity supplied in the box, when selling. In other words, if you don’t have the proof of licence, it would be against the licence terms to sell it on.

Note, too, that the buyer would constitute the second user of the software and, as such, would not themselves be entitled to sell the software later on.