Recently, news broke that Windows Marketplace for Mobile would allow you to share purchased applications with five other, separate devices. People, understandably, were pretty excited with this... though it almost seemed too good to be true. Well... it is. Microsoft has clarified how this actually works, and it's obviously not as first thought.
Microsoft contacted Boy Genius Report, and had this to say: "Microsoft knows the frustration of losing favorite apps and personal information when you lose, upgrade, or add a phone. For this reason, if you buy an application on Windows Marketplace for Mobile, you'll be able to reinstall the application on a limited number of additional phones simply and free of charge. As outlined in the terms of use for Windows Marketplace for Mobile, this ability is limited to phones owned by the person who purchased the application. Application sharing is not permitted. We believe people will find a high value in mobile applications they purchase through the Windows Marketplace, and we will also be offering a refund policy that will make it easier to shop for applications with confidence."
So what this means is that, yes, you can install your applications on up to five other devices, but you have to own them. You can't go giving applications to friends and family, and as you can understand, that is fair enough. Developers would be ever so titchy if they were theoretically losing out on four out of five potential sales. So, there you have it; this policy makes much more sense, especially from a profit point of view.
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