Re: [tlug] Windows Is Free For Business

[Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com>]

Niels Kobschaetzki wrote:
> What I wonder is if they ever think about the fact what happens if a
> competing company finds out that they use pirated software. The first
> thing I'd do would probably give the police a tip - with the probably
> following razzia they will loose all their computers and date which
> will get them out of business because I doubt it that they are
> prepared for such a case. All that with a simple phone call.
>   

I gather it tends to be disgruntled ex-employees, and they call the 
BSA[1] because the BSA can be nastier.  The BSA was running campaign a 
while back specifically targeting employees to report their companies.

> Now to the university: I never actually understood how they do the
> license-thing. I just know that there's a standard package (win xp,
> office 2003, acrobat 8 pro) and for anything else the department has
> to buy additional licenses. Depending on the professor even they try
> to circumvent it.  And they get the cheap educational licenses for
> everything. But some professors prefer to use the money of the
> department to get to conferences, buy books etc but not software (or
> in some cases coomputer equipment…some have so old equipment you won't
> believe it)
> At least the credo in the IT-department where I work is that we do not
> help them or give tips "how to pirate" a specific piece of software
> and won't hand out copies of software when there's no license
> available at the department.
>   

I would be very surprised if the BSA started going after universities 
considering how much effort vendors put into getting their software into 
education programs, but then they are the BSA.

Edward

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Software_Alliance