I had an interesting discussion with another member of a tech forum I am on regarding software licences for popular software - especially Microsoft, Adobe and others.      The scenario goes something like this:   A company buys a bulk licence from (say) Microsoft for (say) 300 licences to use Microsoft Office.    The Microsoft licence is set up with a singular licence key that can be used 300 times.     The company use some of those licences in the business but distribute the key to employees to use a home on their private computers - they install the software, apply the licence key - the software runs home to Mum at Microsoft which verifies the key is legit and the software is registered against the entitlement.

Fast forward a bit.  The Company decides it doesn’t want 300 anymore, it only wants 250.   It sells the remaining 50 licences to an online store who sell them to people for a fraction of the cost of buying the software retail.  For instance, you can buy a key for Win 11 Pro for as low as $A11 or Microsoft Office 2021 for $A21. 

I understand their will be shortcomings in this system but with an ample amount of keys coming on line regularly it may make Microsoft and Adobe rethink their buyback policies!

Of course, there are lot of scams also where the “licence file” is just modified program files that are soon detected by the Software Companies  and the software disabled.

Dnarever wrote on Aug 15^th, 2024 at 10:58am:



Have a look at a Website for CJS-Keys DNA.    There are quite a few like it, but this is the one we were talking about.      I do know that if you buy a key, apply it, it comes back with a digitally signed licence from Microsoft.  Interesting to know how it all works!