Since this is partly represented differently on the web and even in the Microsoft forum, briefly an explanation of:
In the license terms for retail or OEM version of Office 2013 is literally:
[..] Can I transfer the software to another computer or user? You are not entitled to transfer the software to another computer or user. You may use the software installed on the licensed computer as with the COA label, and this agreement directly transferred to third parties. Before the transfer, the other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer and use of the software. [..]
To make sure that I interpret this section licensing law correctly, I was first on the Microsoft forum garment with the question of whether you allowed to install an activated Office 2013 software to uninstall on another computer lizenzrechlich again on another computer and activate can, you wanted to give me any information and has asked me to address myself directly to Microsoft, what I have done. My question in relation to the above-mentioned section of the license conditions was:
"Here [= indicated above excerpt from the license agreement] to transfer the license is excluded to another computer. How can we understand exactly? Does this mean that the acquired license of Office 2013 in the activation of a particular computer is tied and I the license can not be transferred to another of my computers (after uninstallation on the source computer)? [..] "
The (short) answer from Microsoft after a week:
"Office 2013 is generally Einzelpaltzlizenz and transfer this license, unlike Office 2010 is not allowed.
Please understand that we can not make any further legally binding statements. "
=> Microsoft Office 2013 will be in the retail and OEM version (at least for licensing reasons) permanently tied to the hardware from the 2013 version!
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Update 1:
For the Office 365 subscription products hardware binding does not apply! Apparently Microsoft wants to increase the attractiveness of Office 365 compared with the classic Office 2013 packages ...
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Update 2:
One can of course Office 2013 in the retail or OEM version as often activate on the same computer. The key question, however, when a computer is classified as new after replacement of individual components. Although I can not confirm the accuracy of the statement, so I found a post by a user who has been chatting with the Microsoft Support (whose answers are always provided without guarantee!). There was said that even the replacement of the hard drive is classified as a new computer: find (link below: ;asin=B00A2IM0Z8&cdForum=Fx3NUOD2FVJX7S6&cdMsgID=Mx3NSXYH0KLE3R7&cdMsgNo=3&cdPage=1&cdSort=oldest&cdThread=TxXXPR9KSD93OK&store=software#Mx3NSXYH0KLE3R7)
Ian: I see the license for Office Home and Business 2013 is not transferrable to a new PC. This is not acceptable to me, as my PC will be updated within the next year. Is it possible to get a license That I Can Transfer?
John Y: I am very sorry for the inconvenience but unfortunately the license agreements for the new Office software is only for one PC and is not transferrable but we do have Office 365 !!
Ian: How do you define a new PC? Can I re-format my PC and reinstall? What if I upgrade to SSD?
John Y: Yes, you can reformat and reinstall. Basically if this is a NEW HARD DRIVE or Completely new PC you CAN NOT TRANSFER the Software
Ian: Oh. Well, are there any other options then?
John Y: Well you can purchase Office 365 but That is a yearly subscription
If you now take into account that just hard drives due to mechanical wear (HDD) or technical progress (SDD) have only a limited shelf life, so would the temporal usefulness of retail and OEM version of Office 2013 (= main advantage over the subscription model ) are severely limited !!
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Update 3:
According to various media reports from mid-February 2013, Microsoft - have confirmed that due to the specific legal situation in Germany, the above passage for Germany (at present) is not valid - contrary to the license terms! One can at least transmitted through the telephone activation, the license to another computer in Deutschlan.
One should however consider this: The license terms for Office 2013 (in the retail or OEM version) contain a Ausnahmepassus specifically for Japan, which allows the transfer of the license to another computer of its own explicitly. A corresponding Ausnahmepassus has Microsoft - not included for Germany - despite being aware of the current legal situation in Germany. If, consequently, the legal situation in Germany diesbezgl. change (eg by a 'harmonization' within the EU, for example in the context of a new EU directive, or by a new judgment), it remains questionable whether then Microsoft will eliminate the possibility of re-activation of Office 2013 on another computer in Germany (so as in other countries at present already).
The associated risk does each weigh for themselves. At least if you buy in Japan Office 2013 uses, you do not have the problem ...
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Update 4:
Microsoft has bakanntgegeben on its TechNet Blogs page on 06 March 2013 that the license conditions have been adjusted because of customer feedback.
"The Office suites Office Home and Student 2013, Office Home and Business 2013, Office Professional 2013 and the individual applications of Office 2013 can be transferred with immediate effect."
This supplement can not be found, however, on the Microsoft Web site, if you unlock them downloaded the license terms for the purchase version of an Office 2013 product (as of 26.04.2013). These are still the 09.02.2013. Maybe the license text is not modified and the blog message should represent a supplement to the license agreement. Well, let's take it at times ...
