WISCONSIN COMPANY PAYS SOFTWARE WATCHDOG $150,000 (I'm sorry, but this is stupid)

Business Software Alliance ^ | 04.29.02 | bsa

[Registered]

Notice the "Grace Period" announcement? This is just so hillarious. A company is going to offer MY company a GRACE PERIOD so I can do a SELF-AUDIT. Who do these idiots think we are? I can't decide if these are Nazi-like business tactics or if it's a marketing plan developed by Ronco products (my apologies to all of you Ron Popeil fans). I laughed so hard after I got a letter saying that organizations in my area were being investigated! Best of all, they are offering businesses in my area a GRACE PERIOD! If I participate in the Grace Period they won't be seeking to impose penalties for any unauthorized copying that occurred before the May deadline!

[sinkspur]

If you are using software that you did not pay for you are breaking the law and depriving the software developers of the fruits of their labors.

Why aren't you driving a car you didn't pay for?

Do you sell your graphics? If you do, you won't mind it if someone takes a few and makes some money off them, will you?

[DugwayDuke]

Why would you think that suppliers to your business that ask politely for their due are pursueing "Nazi-like business tactics"?

[calljack]

Disgruntled former employees are the number one source of leads for this company. Don't assume you have to turn yourself in, there will be plenty of people willing to do it for you. Sooner or later we will find out about the cut that is paid to the whistleblower.

[Registered]

Well, you're lucky I granted you a Grace Period before responding to stupid examples that people here will give to support this crap.

[sinkspur]

Another "pirate," huh?

What gives you the idea that it's OK to take something that doesn't belong to you?

I'll bet you used the hell out of Napster.

[Registered]

BTW, can I check your cache for any of my images?

[sinkspur]

Well, you're lucky I granted you a Grace Period before responding to stupid examples that people here will give to support this crap.

So, theft is OK with you? You're damned lucky there's even a grace period.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

don't forget to offer him a grace period!

[Registered]

This is America pal, nobody is going to grant me a GRACE PERIOD so that I can do their software self-check.

[stainlessbanner]

Sounds like a "Reparations Jackson" shakedown to me. I've heard these commercials on the radio in my area for a long time - I just laughed, too.

These communists think they will inflitrate your business and turn it upside down looking for software. They wouldn't even make it in my front door - the armed guards would make them wet their shorts!

[Registered]

Can you provide me with your existing IP address and set the appropriate software so that I can check your machine for anything "unusual" okay?

[Registered]

Exactly MY POINT!

[ContentiousObjector]

I get a few of those damn things every year, they don't follow up on them, it is just an empty threat.

It is what you might call Guerilla Marketing,

I got harrased by Microsoft and the BSA for years, if they had anything on us they would have sued us by now, it is just a marketing tactic,

[Registered]

Why aren't you driving a car you didn't pay for?

Actually, the car I am driving was a gift, but if contacted by Honda I'm not going to let them see any paperwork that they ask for.

[Red Jones]

the story on this is that the big software companies, Microsoft, Symantec, etc. have created this organization, BSA and have successfully lobbied the various lawmakers all over the country to get very strong laws passed supporting BSA. BSA has special powers, all it takes is 1 disgruntled employee to call and complain and then immediately they are at your door with subpoena authorizing them to look at all your computers. You can't stop them by law once an individual complains. If they find extra copies of software, then you're going to pay a very large fine.

[sinkspur]

Can you provide me with your existing IP address and set the appropriate software so that I can check your machine for anything "unusual" okay?

If you can show me that you have sufficient evidence that I have pirated software on my machine and that you have the authorization of BSA, you're welcome to.

If you've paid for all the software on your machine, then you've got nothing to worry about, do you?

[Registered]

Let me just say that someone called my anonymously. IP address please?

[creeping death]

The thing I don't understand is why they paid the fine if there is a grace period. Would it have costed them more to acquire the necessary licenses?

[Thisiswhoweare]

The H1Bs have been getting away with it for a long while. They under cut Americans on bids for contracts using pirated er... stolen software! No one has collected fines or stoped them but, they will nail us to the floor.