Microsoft OEM Partner Center

COA and Hologram

A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is a label to help you and your customers identify genuine Microsoft Windows software. Without it, your customers will not have a legal license to run their Windows software.

A new COA label began shipping on September 1, 2007. Note that the prior COA will still be in the market for some time, so please familiarize yourself with both versions. See below for details.

Downloads
COA
Hologram

Distribution
Counterfeit Protection

COA Marketing Resources

Download	Description
Poster .pdf 294 KB \| preview	Post this in your place of business to remind you of the ways the COA has changed.
Flyer .pdf 189 KB \| preview	This flyer shows the differences between the current and previous versions of the COA label.

The Certificate of Authenticity (COA)

New COA

The new COA features two portholes, one in the shape of an ellipse and the second in the shape of the Windows "flying window" logo. The over-laminate has been removed to make it easier to see the individual paper fibers within each of the portholes.
The embedded metallic thread includes new color transitions that occur when viewed at an angle.
The new COA contains microprint—a security feature adopted from currency—that is legible when viewed under a magnifying lens.
The new COA has been changed to a more rectangular shape.

Old COA

A porthole anti-piracy feature allows the computer chassis to be visible through a clear hole. Individual paper fibers can be discerned within the porthole.
An embedded metallic thread with recognizable letters spelling "Genuine" runs through the label.
The technology strips running down the side of the Certificate of Authenticity have been eliminated, providing a flatter profile that allows for a more acceptable print surface for thermal printers.
This COA does not have a laminate finish.

The Hologram

The face of the CD features a hologram—a three-dimensional image of objects—that displays both the name of the software program and a specific image related to that program. Beginning in August 2004 with the release of Windows XP SP2, the CD has the following characteristics:

The outer hologram edge has a wavy visual effect.
The inner hub section has a mirror-band hologram.
Previously different hologram images for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional are now the same.

See How to Tell on the Microsoft Web site for more information on holograms.

The inner mirror-band hologram is an optical band that wraps 180 degrees around the inner portion of the back of the disc. It is etched and embedded into the surface of the CD during manufacturing. The hologram, when tilted in the light, displays text that switches from "Microsoft" to "Genuine" and from "Secure" to "Media."

Distribution

Individual OEM System Builder Windows software licenses must be distributed with the following:

Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label
Hologram media
Documentation
End User Software License Terms*

*Note: The End User Software License Terms can typically be found within the software.

Counterfeit Protection

Don't fall victim to standalone COAs. If you receive offers for COAs as standalone items, be aware that these offers are highly suspect—and they can put you and your customers at risk. If you fall victim to standalone COAs, you will have wasted money and your customers will not have a legal license to run their software.

Protect your customers and your company. Purchase software through a Microsoft authorized OEM distributor, an assured source of genuine Microsoft software.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Act of 2003 (U.S. only), passed on December 24, 2004, makes it a criminal offense to distribute standalone COA labels. There is now a significant legal risk for dishonest resellers to illegally deal in standalone COAs. The full weight of the law is behind the efforts of Microsoft to make the marketplace safe for your honest partners.

Get more information on identifying genuine Windows software.
Piracy Basics .pdf 370 KB | .xps 320 KB

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