Is Windows 10 Home OEM Legal?

[17noaram]

I am currently building my first custom PC, and I purchased Windows 10 Home OEM from Amazon for an OS. I purchased the OEM version because the USB sticks of the retail version have not yet been released. I thought the only differences between the OEM and Retail versions is that OEM is tied to one motherboard and Microsoft does not provide user support for the OEM version. However I have since heard that using the OEM version for personal use is illegal. This seems ridiculous and the description on Amazon said nothing about this, and I can't seem to find anything about on the white envelope in which the OEM version comes in. I know the terms and conditions for the OEM version changes with every new version of Windows, so does anyone know what is up with the OEM version of Windows 10 Home in specific?

 

[DHFF]

That is news to me. As long as you only load it on one system, you are fine. Most everyone I know gets the OEM version. In fact if you buy a computer from a box store, the version of windows on that machine....is an OEM.

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... There will be an agreement to read on the Install program DVD... that you must accept.

 

[anti-duck]

Technically, an OEM copy of a Windows OS is supposed to be installed by a manufacturer or system builder using the OEM pre-installation kit only but it's all a bit ambiguous with conflicting information from Microsoft themselves. Microsoft try their best to be really vague about whether people building a system for themselves are allowed to use their OEM software in an effort to sell full retail copies but they do literally say that scenario is not allowed in the OEM licensing FAQ and then say "unless the end user is actually assembling his/her own PC, in which case, that end user is considered a system builder as well" which was in documents sent out to Microsoft's OEM partners.

But with all that said, I have never heard of any legal action/license revocation/any action at all being taken against someone using an OEM license for personal use in all the years that OEM software has been available to anyone.