Reader Rob Harmer in Australia runs a company providing software and services to help companies sidestep the Bully Software Alliance when they come knocking. Their big product is the PCProfile Software Compliance Kit. One of the ways they educate people is through interesting articles like Stolen Is a Strong Word, a quote from Bill Gates when asked about viewing videos online. Interesting reading.
In addition, Reader Rob says fines are going up, and "this doesn't include Microsoft offering incentives to dealer staff to phone around (cold calling) to assess license compliance and boost sales!" What? Microsoft and other vendors may be using threats of software audits to force customers to buy more software? Are all the business people in Adelaide that cynical? Maybe just the ones who have seen companies with poor record keeping skills attacked by the BSA Down Under group.
Reader Rob reports he does see company executives pirating software, or at least loading more copies than they have licenses. Yes, some companies try to cut corners, and they deserve to get visited by the Bully Software Alliance. But many companies can stop the BSA in their tracks with recent software audits of their own backed with proper purchasing information. It's perhaps a shame companies must buy extra software to prove they're honest, but such knowledge gives you the upper hand dealing with the Bully Software Alliance.
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