There was lots of discussion about the license issue at the Cabin Fever seminars. No one likes it, Brian included. But when you have vendors on Ebay selling CDs that include the mach software and a license key you have to do something. The mac address is about the only thing in a PC that relates to a serial number. Note the license software looks at more than the mac address, but mac is critical.
Note you do not need to have the network connected and working, it simply needs a net interface that has a mac address.
I am afraid this will not change and we will have to get used to it. I will be adding a test and a message box on the About screen that will give a warning when the PC id comes up blank. That is al I can do.