Software Found In Boxes In Dumpster

So I went to a local chain store (Harvey Norman) to get some old boxes for putting vegitation in for our monthly council collection.

I asked the guy at the loading dock if I could take some flattened boxes from the huge dumpster and he said "help yourself to whatever you want".

I loaded the car up and spotted two HP Flat Panel Monitor boxes that were open but not flattened.

Picked one up and found a FP Monitor Software and Documentation CD in it.

So I took it.

Then I spotted a second FPM box an it contained the same CD, so I took it too.

I then spotted an HP box that looked about the size of a desktop so I had a look an it contained Windows Vista Home Premium...................manual.

So the question is, who legally owns the software I found, since it got thrown into a dumpster and the guy I asked about boxes said "help yourself".

I might try and sell the software on eBay for a couple of $$.

A copy of Vista would have been worth a bit more I'm sure than the FP software.

In the US, Possession of an items indicates who the owners is...Course getting it to activate if its already been actviated is another story...If you sell it to someone else and they can't activate it they'll probably expect you to fix it...

It is my understanding that an OEM version of the Windows Operating System belongs to (is licensed for use by) whomever owns the computer the Operating System is installed on. (The Windows Sticker of Authencity should be attached to the computer somewhere).

Also, when that computer dies, the Operating System dies with it. In other words, that Windows Operating System cannot be moved to [installed on] another computer.

Well I didn't get a copy of vista - just a manual like you'd get with an HP, Dell, Gateway PC.

Pretty thin and written for someone who's a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

I guess the FP monitors are for use on their display PCs and they don't bother hanging on to the boxes or software for them.

Usually don't hang on to the boxes or manuals (booklets) here either. The Operating System is pre-installed with its authentication sticker stuck on the PC.

If there are any utility and/or restore CDs/DVDs included, I do keep them.