Legal Information

Choosing suitable software starts with clear information: which version will you receive, how many devices may you use it on, and who can help with activation? Here we explain what you buy from TheKeyStore Switzerland, which licensing models may be involved and what matters when using your software.

Who is behind TheKeyStore Switzerland?

TheKeyStore Switzerland is operated by Everix GmbH in Switzerland. Our company can be contacted at Cheerstrasse 13i, 6014 Lucerne. For questions before purchasing or about activation, our team is available at info@thekeystore.ch. Further company details are provided in our Legal Notice.

What do you receive when you buy?

The description of the specific product and your selected variant determine the details. These include the software version and edition, number of devices, duration and items supplied. Our range includes Windows, Office, Visio, Project, Windows Server and security software.

• Digital delivery (ESD): The product key and the download or installation information provided are sent by email. Physical media are included only where expressly stated.
• USB stick or DVD: Where these variants are offered, you receive physical media via Swiss Post.

We deliver to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The delivery time stated for the product applies; advance payment or a necessary manual review may extend processing. See Shipping & Delivery for details.

Product keys, activation and the right to use software

• Software is the program you install and use.
• A product key is a code used for installation or activation, depending on the product.
• Activation is a technical process with the respective manufacturer. Successful activation alone does not provide complete proof of all usage rights or the origin of the licence.
• A right to use software, or licence, is the legal entitlement to use the software within a defined scope. Lawful acquisition, applicable law and the relevant licence terms determine that entitlement.

A right to use software therefore does not arise simply because a key works or licence terms are accepted during installation. Equally, the agreed scope of an offer cannot be reduced to a string of characters. What TheKeyStore Switzerland is required to supply and the scope of use provided by the product follow from the specific offer and contractual terms. Keep your order and product documentation.

Different licensing and distribution models

Software manufacturers offer different models, including products for individual users, subscriptions and agreements for organisations with multiple users or devices. These models may differ in duration, transferability, activation and what is supplied.

Part of our range may consist of product keys or usage rights originating from volume licensing models. This does not mean that every offer is a volume licence or used software. The description and selected variant specify the conditions for each product.

Volume licences and resold software

Volume licensing models group software procurement for multiple users or devices. A key used under such a model is a technical means of activation; the number of possible activations does not, by itself, establish the number of legally permitted uses. The term “volume licence” alone also does not establish whether, or to what extent, resale is permitted.

Used software concerns the resale of software already placed on the market or the corresponding usage rights. Whether resale is permitted depends on the applicable law, the particular licensing model and the circumstances of acquisition and transfer.

Switzerland: Article 12 paragraph 2 of the Swiss Copyright Act provides that a computer program may be used or resold if its author has sold it or consented to its sale. This principle of exhaustion concerns control over further distribution. It does not mean that the right to use the software has been “used up” or that any number of additional copies may be used.

EU and EEA: In Case C-128/11 (UsedSoft/Oracle), the Court of Justice of the European Union addressed the resale of downloaded software under certain conditions. For the model considered, these include a perpetual right of use in return for an appropriate fee and the reseller making their own copy unusable. The judgment does not generally permit a licence acquired for multiple users to be split and unused portions resold. It concerns EU law and does not authorise the resale of every product key.

Switzerland belongs to neither the EU nor the EEA; EU rules do not automatically apply here. For Liechtenstein, an EEA state, its applicable law and the EEA legal framework must be considered, including the Liechtenstein Copyright Act. A particular offer therefore cannot be assessed using a blanket statement covering all three legal contexts.

Different products may have different sourcing routes and licensing histories. If your intended use requires further information about the licensing model or specific documentation, please contact us before purchasing and identify the product concerned. This allows the available information to be considered alongside your requirements.

Why can our prices be lower?

Comparing prices involves more than the product name. Version, edition, device count, duration, items supplied, and licensing, distribution and sourcing models can all affect the price. For relevant offers, volume licensing models or resold usage rights may also play a part.

Purely digital ESD delivery does not require conventional retail packaging or shipping of physical media. A lower-priced digital offer may therefore have a different scope of supply and use from a retail package. Compare the product variant and permitted uses in particular; not all price differences have the same cause.

Our activation guarantee

If the supplied product key does not work during initial activation, we will help investigate. If the supplied key is faulty, you will receive a replacement free of charge in a justified case. The activation guarantee requires the correct installation of the intended software version or edition and the case to fall within the activation period specified for the product.

Email info@thekeystore.ch with your order number, product, installed version or edition and the exact error message. A screenshot may help us investigate. Do not publish your complete product key publicly.

A technically faulty key is a defect complaint, rather than a return because you have changed your mind. The activation guarantee is not an unlimited promise covering future reinstallations or device changes. Your statutory rights concerning defects remain unaffected; the binding details are set out in our Terms and Conditions.

The activation period is not the duration of use

For purchases made directly through thekeystore.ch, initial activation should generally take place within three months of purchase confirmation, unless the product specifies otherwise. After this period, successful initial activation can no longer be guaranteed.

These three months do not limit how long you may use successfully activated perpetual software. The permitted duration of use and number of devices depend on the product purchased and its terms.

What does “perpetual” or “Lifetime” mean?

For products described in this way, it generally means that the acquired software version does not require a regularly renewed subscription. It does not automatically mean unlimited activations or devices, free future major versions or a guaranteed transfer to another computer.

For products with one-time activation, reactivation after reinstallation, formatting, a device change or a significant hardware change cannot be guaranteed. This does not establish a single rule for every offer: multi-device products, Microsoft 365, antivirus subscriptions, server products and other differing models are governed by their respective product and variant details. Contact support in advance if you have questions about a planned device change.

Trademarks and manufacturers

Microsoft, Windows, Office, Visio, Project and other trademarks or product names belong to their respective rights holders. We use them to describe and identify the products offered. Their use alone does not imply an official partnership with or authorisation by the manufacturer concerned.

Further information and support

This page explains the background. Product-specific features are determined by the relevant product description and variant; contractual terms are provided in our Terms and Conditions. Mandatory statutory rights remain unaffected.

• Terms and Conditions – contractual terms, use and activation guarantee
• Withdrawal & Returns – returns, withdrawal and refunds
• Shipping & Delivery – delivery methods, times and shipping
• Privacy Policy – processing of personal data
• Cookie Policy – cookies and privacy settings
• Frequently Asked Questions – answers about orders and use
• Contact – personal assistance with your enquiry

Last updated: 17 September 2026