EU Law & Authentication
Understanding your rights when purchasing software in the European Union.
Legal Sale of Software Licenses in EU
The sale of "used" or "secondary" software licenses is legal in the European Union following the landmark ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the case C-128/11 (UsedSoft GmbH v. Oracle International Corp, 2012).
Key Legal Principles
- Exhaustion of Distribution Rights: Once a software license is sold, the copyright holder's distribution rights to that copy are exhausted.
- Right to Resell: License holders have the right to resell their legitimately acquired software licenses.
- Equal Treatment: Downloaded software is treated the same as physical copies for resale purposes.
Our Compliance
__COMPANY_NAME__ sources and supplies software licenses in line with EU regulations:
- Sourcing: Each product page shows the licence channel, devices or users, term, and activation region. Supplier and chain-of-title documentation is retained for audit purposes.
- Verification: Each license is reviewed before it is listed for sale.
- Documentation: We maintain proper documentation for all license transactions.
Authentication Process
All software licences go through our authentication process:
- Source Verification: We verify the origin of each licence to confirm legitimacy.
- Key Validation: Licence keys are tested before being listed.
- Activation Test:We confirm keys can be activated through the vendor's standard activation flow.
Consumer Rights in the EU
As an EU consumer, you have the following rights:
- 14-day withdrawal period for most purchases
- Clear information about products before purchase
- Protection against unfair contract terms
- Right to remedies if products are faulty
Note: The withdrawal period may not apply once a digital product has been downloaded or a license key has been revealed, with your prior consent.
References
- CJEU Case C-128/11 - UsedSoft GmbH v. Oracle International Corp (2012)
- Directive 2011/83/EU - Consumer Rights Directive
- Directive 2019/770 - Digital Content and Services Directive
Contact
For legal inquiries:
__COMPANY_NAME__
Email: [email protected]
Address: __REGISTERED_ADDRESS__
Registration Number: __REGISTRATION_NUMBER__
Page last updated: 2026-07-19