Original Message:
Sent: Mar 10, 2026 07:06 PM
From: Daniel Casota
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
In addition to the VMware IT Academy Program and the mainframe initiatives, the Research and Educational Partnerships are particularly noteworthy. There are so many good articles from the United States, so many. Broadcom's subsidiaries in China and India exemplify the potential for significant advancements by the help of the IRIS National Fair or by the funds and promoted innovations in areas like communications and engineering. Broadcom has consistently demonstrated excellence in supporting high-caliber bachelor's and master's theses - prioritizing truly exceptional work over mediocre efforts - across its core regions of the United States, China, and India.
Closer cooperation between European (and Swiss) universities and Broadcom would promote continuous innovation in key technology areas – and place less emphasis on jurisprudence for "flawless" results.
Benjamin isn't alone. As @RaSystemLord emphasizes, there have been several licensing requests, and it's a shame because it doesn't prioritize the future value of intellectual work on existing software. VMware Workstation helps to deliver good student work. A promising example is university Hohenheim, indeed.
From 1998? Thank you @RaSystemlord for your ongoing support. Integrating datacenter AI and edge AI, pioneering space-based data centers, advanced time-of-flight sensor systems, and much more - What a time to be alive.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 10, 2026 02:36 PM
From: RaSystemlord
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
I completely agree on Daniel's initiative.
I cannot comment on the legal aspects, because I don't have that kind of knowledge, but I have often noticed that questions and answers lose their meaning when Timeline is not correct on the Forum. Mostly, it is just confusing, perhaps people are aware of the fact that there are several reasons why Timeline is corrupt.
Duplicate posts are common place for new Users, when they cannot anticipate what the reason is for their post not appearing on the Forum. I understand that posts need to be moderated, but there should be an indication for the User that the Post itself was successful. While the Moderation takes place, Timeline can easily get corrupted and create confusion. This might be beyond the functionality of the Forum software - I cannot possibly know if it is or isn't, but I would seriously study this matter if I where a Broadcom person responsible for this Forum.
The thing that The Same Questions are asked 2 (two) times per week in the average, for some matters, is mostly because there are no Sticky Posts in the Forum. That is a Major set back in the Forum software OR its implementation. This HAS been discussed before. I mean, 2 times per week for MONTHS now.
I hope Broadcom can address these things - just to throw some gas into the fire - this is the ONLY Forum where I can see these kinds of problems. I have been a regular Forum User since they were possible and thus invented, some time in 1998.
But just to be clear, I FULLY appreciate that Forum posts are moderated, also in the best interest of the software company itself.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 10, 2026 07:35 AM
From: Daniel Casota
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Dear Forum Administration / Moderation Team,
The forum system's handling of chronological entries has issues. Based on the screenshots below of the thread, here's a chronological breakdown of the events and processing of the initial query regarding licensing for VMware Workstation Pro at educational institutions:
- Initial Query Posted (March 4, 2026, 5:12 AM): Benjamin Herwog submits the original question via the forum (or email to the forum system), inquiring about licensing details for VMware Workstation Pro in a university setting. He mentions concerns about EULA compliance, providing VMs to students, and avoiding illegal actions. This starts the thread.
- Substantive Response Provided (March 5, 2026, 4:50 AM): Daniel Casota replies with a detailed answer, referencing VMware Workstation Pro 25H2u1 release notes and Broadcom's End User Agreement. He explains that no license key is needed, the software is non-transferable and non-sublicensable, and recommends consulting Broadcom support for specific advice on distribution to students. He also notes that direct downloads from official sources are preferred to avoid violations, and mentions no current legal notices in the support portal for this product.
In the context of electronic communications and records, such as forum posts or email threads that may serve as official transaction logs, nonrepudiation ensures that parties cannot deny their actions, authorship, or the integrity of the sequence of events. The primary US law governing nonrepudiation in electronic transactions is the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act), codified at 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq. This federal statute, enacted in 2000, validates electronic signatures and records as equivalent to traditional handwritten ones, provided they include mechanisms like audit trails and cryptographic security to prevent denial of actions. To maintain nonrepudiation, electronic records must be "unique," "identifiable," and "unalterable," as altering them could undermine their legal enforceability.
Modifying the sequence of such records - such as rearranging, deleting, or falsifying the order of posts in a forum thread - directly violates the ESIGN Act by compromising the integrity and authenticity required for nonrepudiation, potentially rendering the records invalid in legal contexts like disputes or audits. This could also implicate broader statutes like the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), 18 U.S.C. § 1030, if the modification involves unauthorized access or alteration of computer systems, leading to civil or criminal penalties for fraud or tampering. Additionally, this issue might stem from a problem in the forum system's configuration, such as faulty duplicate detection, moderation queues, or email distribution settings, which could inadvertently allow or cause sequence disruptions without proper safeguards.
The forum team is strongly urged to thoroughly analyze and address this configuration issue to mitigate risks and maintain system reliability.
Thank you for your assistance.
Daniel Casota
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 06, 2026 12:05 PM
From: RaSystemlord
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Thanks for your full enclosure of this matter.
I have nothing to add to this University use and I had never any concern about it. I believe that I have made that completely clear also before.
I was merely answering to the comments beyond this particular case and also I wanted to get the Timeline Correct. As a lawyer, you must realize that if the timeline is wrong, no arguments referring to the order of incidents are right.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 06, 2026 05:09 AM
From: Daniel Casota
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Hi @RaSystemlord,
As counsel advising on software licensing under U.S. federal copyright law (17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq.) and state contract principles such as California's Business and Professions Code §§ 17200 et seq., while ensuring parallel compliance with EU Directive 2009/24/EC (as transposed in Germany's Urheberrechtsgesetz and Switzerland's Federal Act on Copyright), I have reviewed the current VMware Workstation Pro licensing framework for German or Swiss university's in-person campus laboratory.
Broadcom continues to offer Workstation Pro at no cost for commercial, educational, and personal use without a license key, a policy unchanged since November 2024 and confirmed through 2026.
This free model expressly supports educational deployments on laboratory machines for enrolled students, provided all activity remains strictly internal and non-productive.
Nevertheless, the governing Broadcom End User License Agreement designates the license as non-transferable and non-sublicensable, restricting use to the institution's authorized employees or contractors acting on its behalf.
Any central redistribution of installers to students therefore risks violating these limits and could trigger claims under U.S. copyright infringement statutes or EU computer-program protection rules.
Best practice under both U.S. Uniform Commercial Code good-faith obligations (e.g., N.Y. U.C.C. § 1-304) and EU Unfair Contract Terms Directive (93/13/EEC) requires each end user to download directly from the official Broadcom Support Portal.
No public Knowledge Base article currently clarifies institution-wide distribution rights, rendering independent interpretation inherently questionable.
Accordingly, the most prudent and transparent course is to contact Broadcom directly or through your authorized Broadcom partner to request the relevant Transaction Document, Module, or Specific Program Document (SPD) pertaining to VMware Workstation that explicitly authorizes institution-wide distribution.
Such early, written engagement eliminates ambiguity concerning laboratory usage and any install-base reporting obligations.
Would you concur that this use case extends its relevance to other educational institutions with internal laboratories as well? In your presumed role as the forum administrator, I kindly implore you to provide assistance with this matter.
Kind regards,
Daniel
As a Swiss citizen, the utilization of VMware Workstation (or Fusion) by Broadcom is of considerable personal importance to me as well. Thank you for your forum help.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 06, 2026 04:44 AM
From: RaSystemlord
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Daniel Casota,
your statements are not really true.
I was the FIRST to answer and I DID mark the duplicate post as DUPLICATE, but you choose to answer that Dublicate, which was a grave mistake. Not my mistake. I was explaining that Free to Use is relevant, which was a correct statement - what others did, was to talk about Free to Distribute Legal Terms. In this case Free to Distribute is perhaps also relevant - so, a good addition to the discussion.
As for my comment: "Those should have no access to US software … smuggling stuff to their countries and obviously linked to their war industry"
Is based on actual facts on this Forum. Somebody was gloating that they can go beyond international embargo. There are only logical deductions in place.
Not my fault that this happens. You should have the country of origin in Profile that everybody can see - this is your mistake. Then Moderators could shut down such remarks and members immediately - I mean gloating about going around International and USA Embargo. I think if Broadcom helps in such action, it is NOT in the best interest of an American software company. I come from that business and I DO KNOW that those things are not a joke within US Officials. There is no such thing as Neutral View Point - that you are suggesting.
I have been in this business longer than most and I do not react well with unfounded criticism when I'm helping others without any charge. And I don't react well when people from certain countries try to diminish the International Embargo restrictions.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 06, 2026 04:24 AM
From: Daniel Casota
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Hi Benjamin,
I would like to express my apologies. It was not my intention to divert the focus of this thread towards the forum system issue I identified. I have reached out to the administrators for assistance regarding this matter.
It is advisable to contact Broadcom (see weblink above) or your Broadcom partner to request information regarding the relevant Transaction Document, Module, or Specific Program Document (SPD) pertaining to VMware Workstation that explicitly authorizes institution-wide distribution. At this time, there are no e.g. Knowledge Base articles available that clarify this right. An independent interpretation of the right is questionable; therefore, demanding a clear statement early on is the fairest way. Direct communication helps prevent misunderstandings related to productive laboratories and install base reporting.
Best wishes,
Daniel
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 06, 2026 03:32 AM
From: Benjamin Herwog
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Dear Daniel,
Thank you. Of course, we will never ever provide VMWare by ourselves as a download or so! Only the VM images will be provided, but not the hypervisor etc. Of course not. To make the VM run on their own computers, the students will get a link to broadcom's website and another link to the vmdk+config from one of our servers.
We would however install vmware on our own computers in the lab, so that the students can work there without installing anything there (of course they do not have the respective permissions). We supply them the vmware-infrastructure after WE complied to broadcom's EULA-terms, so to speak. But what the students do on their own computers is completely up to them, we simply hint them to broadcom via a link.
Have a great weekend all
Benjamin
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 05, 2026 04:50 AM
From: Daniel Casota
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Hi,
See VMware Workstation Pro 25H2u1 Release Notes
VMware Workstation Pro is now free for commercial, educational, and personal use. You no longer require a license key.
Internationalization: English, French, Japanese, Spanish
According to the Broadcom End User Agreement (
License and Service Terms & Repository) that governs VMware Workstation Pro, the license is non-transferable and non-sublicensable, with use restricted to authorized end users - typically the customer's employees or contractors acting on its behalf for internal purposes.
There are no explicit provisions allowing redistribution or bundling of the software itself by third parties, including educational institutions distributing installers to students. For this, better consult your university's Broadcom partner or contact
Broadcom | Support for case-specific advice.
VMware Workstation belongs to the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) business unit.
end-user-agreement-englishsection 3.4.3 addresses reporting requirements for installed base and license compliance. It does not confer distribution rights. Assuming that your university is a paying VCF customer, you easily can ask Broadcom about a specific Transaction Document, Module, or SPD for VMware Workstation that explicitly permits such distribution.
The university could instruct students to download it directly from official sources rather than distributing installers, to avoid potential violations, however in most cases such software registration requirements are not in the interest of an university.
Good to know:
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 04, 2026 05:12 AM
From: Benjamin Herwog
Subject: Licensing for Workstation Pro at educational institutions/universities
Dear all,
Hopefully I do not post twice, but my last posting from a few minutes ago seems lost.
I work at a univeristy and provide virtual machines to the students. They should have to use the same VM-images either at their own computers or in our lab rooms. Additionally, the shall do their exams with instance of the same image.
I cannot find good information on the licensing regarding such usecases and do not want to do anything illegal. Could someone please hint me to the (relevant parts) of a EULA? I really looked, but it's a very vast material. Probably, I looked at the wrong places. The EULA I aggree to before downloading does not answer my questions.
Thank you for help!
Benjamin
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