"OEM Software": Good Deal or Theft?

Hey, wait a minute. That's too good to be true. But there are surely sufficient numbers of these guys hawking such deals that it can't be entirely illegal, right?

Next, I visit the OEM software site, and it looks legitimate. Heck, most of the words are even spelled correctly. And there's an FAQ page that explains why the stuff is so cheap: Because it's downloaded software, I needn't pay for packaging. Nor do I get phone support from the vendor.

But, hey, even Microsoft sends Windows 2003 in just a little cardboard box with a plastic spacer. Inside are two Release 2 (R2) CDs and a piece of paper with the printed license. This packaging costs Microsoft hundreds of dollars? And even Microsoft doesn't give free phone support for Windows 2003—it never has. Something sure smells fishy, doesn't it? . . .