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Microsoft has confirmed that its Office 2013 licenses cannot be transferred between different PCs after they have been installed.
Whilst the firm previously allowed users to reinstall their Office 2010 licenses on new machines, Microsoft will not offer users of the new suite the same luxury.
Microsoft confirmed the news following a query from Computerworld.
Asking whether the license would be transferable, a Microsoft representative replied with "correct".
The representative went on to dodge questions surrounding the availability of license transfers in the event of system damage or theft, simply stating: "no comment."
Many have been quick to view Microsoft’s move away from transferable licenses as a method of pushing its cloud-based Office 365 Premium service, which allows the software to be installed on up to five different machines.
However, unlike the standard Office 2013, its cloud-based counterpart requires a monthly subscription of £7.99.
Despite the claims, Microsoft claims it has been upfront regarding the issue of license transfers and the products its users should go for.
Microsoft’s representative added: "We’ve been very clear in all of our communications that customers seeking transferability should get Office 365 and that Office 2013 is licensed to one device."
