[Bush2000]

That someone actually paid Microsoft for a license is, of course, irrelevant to you.

You're assuming that somebody "actually paid" -- which is doubtful in this case. Look, if somebody is using your product without paying for it, you have every right to take action against them. You guys like to think that that's un-American. Fine. The last thing this country needs is a lesson in commercial ethics from a bunch of Bolsheviks.

[Question_Assumptions]

You're assuming that somebody "actually paid" -- which is doubtful in this case.

And, as I pointed out, you are assuming guilt. It is not doubtful that someone actually paid, given the scenario described. They passed the computer on to someone who was not using it without wiping it out. A technical violation of the law? Yes. But hardly comparable to willing piracy. I think you simply need to assume guilt in order to rationalize Microsoft's behavior.

Look, if somebody is using your product without paying for it, you have every right to take action against them.

The article claims that they weren't using the product without paying for it -- the claim is that the software simply wasn't erased from the offending computers as they were passed on to others. A technical violation? Yes. Worth $80,000?

You guys like to think that that's un-American. Fine.

I've worked for my state's taxation department. The reason that the IRS is so abusive is because they do almost exactly what Microsoft is doing here.

1. They assume guilt -- you must pay first and prove you are innocent later.
2. You must keep records and receipts and provide them upon demand to prove you are innocent -- if you don't, you may have to pay taxes that you legally should not have to pay.
3. They use the cost of fighting them as a weapon to extort settlements out of people who can't afford to fight -- you can go bankrupt simply trying to prove you are innocent because the burden falls on you to prove it.
4. They catch people "cheating" who didn't know they are cheating and hit them with punative fines -- despite the fact that the complexity of compliance makes it easy enough for a normal person to make an honest mistake.

Do a lot of people cheat on their taxes. Yes. Do a lot of them do it on purpose? Of course. But does that justify the IRS showing up in jack boots to ruin a person or small business owner's life? Not in my opinion. But the IRS will give you a justification for their tactics which is an almost verbatim copy of your justification for Microsoft's tactics.

The last thing this country needs is a lesson in commercial ethics from a bunch of Bolsheviks.

I'm pretty consistent. I'm against abuse of power whether it comes from the government, an individual, or a corporation. Either you don't mind the abuse of power or you are selective in how it bothers you.

And as for someone who has paid for every copy of Microsoft software he has (several thousand dollars worth), I find your attempts to brand me a communist laughable.