There is no online activation. Apparently there is a confusion between re-downloading from Apple servers (requires verification of the legitimacy of the reques

There is no online activation. Apparently there is a confusion between re-downloading from Apple servers (requires verification of the legitimacy of the request) then subsequently restoring and installing from local media (assumed to be legitimate, no Internet connection required). If you install from local media you don't need an Internet connection, you don't need to provide an Apple ID, and there is no verification of installation. (At least in the DPs, I can't speak for what the final public release will look like obviously.)