This creates administrative overhead which increases the TCO of commercial software vs. open source alternatives. But even in a technically savvy company, it is easy enough to lose track of license sheets and can be quite difficult to keep track of the details of each license (e.g., "Can I uninstall this software on one machine and legally install it on another machine?" -- the answer is not always "yes").
Management may forbid unauthorized copying, may dictate that any recycled computer be scrubbed and reloaded, but individual employees may not heed this.
It helps to make employees log in as restricted users. But that necessitates having an IT staff because employees can no longer maintain their own computers. Someone else needs to do it for them. This, again, increases the TCO of commercial software.
Shoot, a "disgruntled" could PLANT such violations where before there were none.
Of course. Which is why the assumption of guilt bothers me so much. In the case in question, the employee who reported the company was also the employee who was supposed to keep track of licenses, according to Ball. Maybe he didn't plant the violations but he did seem to suddenly develop a conscious once he was fired. If he knew the company was violating licenses but didn't explain the situation to his boss, then I'm not sure why the company is to blame, unless he has evidence that he brougt these problems to his bosses attention.
One of the problems I have with corporations is that I'd like to see the employees who actually break the law, rather than their employers, held responsible for legal acts. But lawyers don't really want to go after individuals. That's not where the money is. They go for the deepest pockets. I'd really like to know if Ball, the disgruntled employee, or some other employee was responsible for the unlicensed copies of software on those computers.
This is one main reason why Micro$haft sells so many site and enterprise licenses, and businesses re-pay for the same Windows they bought OEM with their hardware.
Yes. But it never seems to bother the defenders of Microsoft when people have to pay twice for software or, as was the case a while back, people had to pay the OEM for a Windows license whether they wanted Windows or not. Just shut up and pay your Microsoft tax.