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.
New attack fells Internet Explorer
11/22/09
A hacker has posted attack code that could be used to break into a PC running older versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.
Google Chrome OS on the PC World Podcast
11/21/09
In this week's special (and slightly long) episode of the PC World podcast, editors Robert Strohmeyer, Tim Moynihan, Melissa Perenson, and Nick Mediati discuss the just-announced Google Chrome OS.
LG NAS Adds Blu-ray Drive
11/21/09
LG's N4B1 NAS box is neither a comprehensive media server nor a particularly fast performer, but as a network-attached storage device, it's quick enough for home/small-business file serving. The unit--available at this writing for around $700--is also the sturdiest and quite possibly the best-looking such box I've had my hands on. You also can't beat it's HTML configuration interface for looks or ease of learning and use. But none of that compares to the N4B1's most outstanding feature: an integrated Blu-ray burner, unique among NAS products in the SMB/SOHO market.
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.
Note: Register to have your user name appear; otherwise your comment will show up as "Anonymous."
*Anonymous comments will only appear once they are approved by the moderator.
Copyright 2008 Network World Inc.
|
Does Verizon's Voyager stack up to the iPhone? |
5 IT skills that won't boost your salary 
[1,407]
Women 4 times more likely than men to cough up personal info [589]
Japan's 10 funniest tech-related commercials [Videos] [407]
Throwing away a promo CD is "unauthorized distribution"? [1,265]
Adults too quick to dismiss educational video games [682]
Attack of the iPhone clones [Slideshow] [578]
10 things IT needs to know about AJAX [1,258]
This Year's 25 Geekiest 25th Anniversaries [Slideshow] [409]
Network World on Twitter: Get our tweets and stay plugged in to networking news
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...
All comments (1)