Microsoft cause a minor storm on the internet a few weeks back when it was revealed that they had made a serious alteration in the license for retail versions of Office 2013. In earlier versions of Office, customers were allowed to install retail editions of Office in whichever computer they wanted, as long as they had a valid license. The new Office 2013 license agreement tied the installation to the first computer it was installed in, so if you wanted to upgrade to a new computer, you would also have to buy a new license for your Office 2013 software.
After a rather bitter, rancorous reaction from the public, Microsoft has "graciously" changed the license agreement, so that if your computer fails, or if you wish to transfer your software into a new computer, this is now allowed. This change is effective immediately, though the validation servers for Microsoft may lag behind in this policy change, and if you have already installed the program and wish to transfer it, you will probably have to contact their service personnel by phone.
As with previous versions of Office, the retail license only allows one installation. If you are transferring from another computer, you must delete the earlier copy. And you may only make one transfer every 90 days, unless you suffer a computer hardware failure.
You can read the brief announcement at the Office News blog.
