Microsoft has said that the Internet service provider Fasthosts, which has started offering a hosted version of Microsoft Office 2007, is infringing on the software giant's license regulations.

Earlier this week, the U.K.-based ISP and hosting company started selling an online version of Microsoft Office, advertised as being "streamed to your PC." However, unlike most hosted software, or software as a service (SaaS), it requires users to download software to their client PC.

“Fasthosts' Microsoft Office product uses the SaaS model in that it is delivered and managed via the Internet," explained Mark Jeffries, Fasthosts' chief technology officer, on Thursday. Speaking with CNET News.com sister site ZDNet UK via e-mail, Jeffries said that a "full version Microsoft Office, identical to the boxed product, is downloaded using a streaming service and saved locally on a user's PC.”

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Microsoft, Microsoft Office, Office 2007, License, Licensing, ISP, Fasthosts