carol - this sounds outrageous.
are you saying that you can't even reinstall your old copy, because you were given a license based on your hardware (or windows install info), and now that you've upgraded your windows, he won't give you a new license key based on your new windows/hardware install info?
i don't care if you are reinstalling windows or replacing your computer and getting another one, that would be totally unacceptable, and very uncommon.
if that's really the case then i would advise everyone to steer very clear from this company,
and with your permission i would like to email the author to let him/her know in a polite fashion that he is going to very quickly develop a bad reputation if he insists on this. if sites like this one, and zaine's, etc. take the time to write to these authors and let them know that this kind of stuff is going to backfire on them maybe they will change their views.