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BSA Accuses OpenOffice Mirrors
sqrt529 writes "A German university was accused by the BSA of pirating MS Office, because they mirrored OpenOffice.org. The scripts from the BSA only check for "Office" in the filename and then automatically send out notices to the ftp admins. Did any of you get similar notices from the BSA?"
BSA did impersonate the owners of OpenOffice. And BSA likes to portray themselves as an organisation that has para-governmental rights (such as forcefully searching companies' premises).
2) They did not say that anything was wrong with the files, they only said that they owened them.
They said it was wrong to have the files on the ftp server...
3) You're a dufus.
Thanks. Same to you!
IANAL but (pay attention this is important!) ...
Even though the legal claim is bogus, it is important that everyone that receives such a notice replies within 10 days to (in pretty much these words) respectfully agree to withdraw offending files, provided that the BSA can prove that there is a legal reason for you to do so.
The alternatives:
* To ignore such a notice is a strike against you should you ever go to court against the BSA.
* To be disrespectful is also a strike against you should you ever go to court against the BSA.
* (Strangely,) To disagree is a strike against you should you ever go to court against the BSA.
* And finally, to admit any wrongdoing is a definite strike against you in court, and would give the BSA a good reason to bother you even more....
Essentially RICO allows an enterprise to be defined as primarily criminal in nature even if it is involved in some non criminal activities. For example a massage parlor chain that makes 10% of its money from massages andd 90% from prostitution could be charged under RICO.
The poster is suggesting that the BSA's abuses are so widespread that the BSA should in and of itself be considered a criminal organization and not a legitimate organization that has committed some crimes (though to the best of my knowledge the BSA has never been charged with a crime at all so the original poster is really off base here).
I have been told by somebody that they can hold the equipment up to 5 years.
I heard that aliens killed Kennedy. That doesn't make it true.
I have performed forensic analysis on computer equipment held for 5 years related to a defense case where I was an expert witness. I have testified to these details under oath. You know nothing of the fuck of what you speak.
If the FBI has a warrant, they will come in and search your computers and premises. If they find Office, and you dont have licenses, then you are guilty, and will be fined/prosecuted. If you have no copies of office, then nothing happens, you are innocent. Therein lies the problem. At a friends business, the BSA asked to search the premise. They told them that they only ran Linux and no, the BSA was not allowed. The FBI came that afternoon with a warrent and took the equipment. All of it. 3 computers, keyboards, monitors, 2 printers, a network switch, cable modem, speakers, CDs, and DVDs (all commercial movies and music). They still have it after nearly a year. They will search it and return it WHEN they feel like it. The FBI has not filed charges. Somebody told me that they can hold it for 5 years. Somehow, i find that hard to believe, but who knows in this day and age. I do know that when they call the FBI, that they say that it will be returned when they are done examining the evidence.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.