Beware the Business Software Alliance, and the Software & Information Industry Association. Their stated goals are to work for software vendors to prevent software piracy. Their actions, however, routinely terrorize and penalize businesses guilty of nothing more than sloppy bookkeeping and being confused by incredibly complex software licensing agreement contracts.
Apple Store announces Reserve And Pick Up program
11/07/09
For you pre-Thanksgiving shoppers, the Apple retail store on Friday announced a way to get a jump on your holiday list. The Reserve And Pick Up option will let you choose hardware products online and swing by your local store to collect them between December 15 and 24. Currently, the line-up of offerings includes iPods, iPhones, MacBooks, Mac Minis, iMacs, and Mac Pros. To make a reservation, you sign in with your Apple ID and select a store location. Payment is due only at the time of pick-up.
Q&A: isoHunt founder says P2P can help create post-piracy world
11/07/09
isoHunt's Gary Fung talks about how isoHunt has evaded legal trouble so far, why he holds out hope of working together with Hollywood and the music industry, and how he's launched a new P2P site for just that purpose.
Update fixes iPhone sync problem with Windows 7 for some
11/07/09
Gigabyte Technology issued a BIOS update on Friday that fixes a problem for some Windows 7 users who have been unable to sync their iPhones.
I first covered this display of corporate greed and bullying in The Software Protection Racket, Part 1. Many readers, appalled at the business practices of the BSA and SIIA when exposed, helped supply information for the next two columns, The Software Protection Racket Part 2, and Business Software Alliance: Outright Liars or Just Truth Challenged? followed by the fourth in the series, Readers Answer the Bully Software Alliance.
Dozens of readers and software industry executives wrote in response to these columns. One reader, an IT manager, went on a group camping trip that included an employee of the BSA. The BSA employee argued the entire week with our reader, convinced that no company actually paid for all the software they used and accurately tracked their license requirements.
This is only one case, detractors say, but this attitude radiates from the BSA constantly. Everyone is guilty, and the BSA is judge, jury, and financial executioner. Over two years ago I wrote about this issue in a column entitled No One Expects the Software Inquisition. Funny title reference to Monty Python notwithstanding, the use of the term Inquisition on my part was deliberate: they have the power, they have the deep pockets, and they can ruin any small business they want to ruin with their allegations.
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Best Practices: Dealing with the BSA and SIIA By Anonymous on January 19, 2007, 11:50 am Reply | Read entire comment Aside from keeping software invoices in a fireproof safe openable only with the simultanious presence of keys held by two different people (or switching to open...
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