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How the BSA Squeezes the Little Guys

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the theres-yer-problem-right-here dept.

netbuzz writes "Actually, 90% of the Business Software Alliance's revenue is squeezed from small businesses accused of using unlicensed software. A lawyer who represents some of them says his clients often suspect that it was the IT guy who just left — and was responsible for maintaining the licenses — who ratted them out for a big BSA reward."

4 of 341 comments (clear)

  1. IT guys not eligible for reward ... by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "... his clients often suspect that it was the IT guy who just left -- and was responsible for the maintaining the licenses -- who ratted them out for a big BSA reward ..."

    People responsible for licenses in some manner are not eligible for the reward. IT guys doing this are disgruntled and just trying to "get even".

    Keep in mind that small business was not chosen merely because they have fewer resourced available to defend themselves, but they were also the worst offenders. Betting that their size would keep them under the radar of Microsoft, Word Perfect, Lotus, Borland, etc back in the day. I'm not defending the BSA's actions, but their targeting is not entirely devoid of reason.

  2. How does the BSA by jasen666 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    force a company to allow an audit or "investigation"?
    What do they do when a small business owner says, "I use strictly Linux on my computers, no, you can't come in and look around, go pound sand."

    1. Re:How does the BSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I know someone that was audited by the BSA and decided to fight it. Basically they countered by stating they wanted full disclosure of who reported them so as to determine the validity of the claim prior to wasting internal resources and dollars.

      They also argued that the reporting tools are a violation of privacy. Yes, they expected them to place some software on their network which scans their entire network not to mention each machine's registry.

      Third, they also argued that even if they were in violation of license, the license is between them and the vendor (after all, the license does not allow for the BSA as having legal proxy interests) and unless the vendor in questions decides that they'd like to personally pursue the issue, the BSA does not have legal authority or the legal grounds to pursue the action.

      Furthermore, they argued that even if something odd was discovered and they lost, only the government has the right to impose fines on legal matters as such and they would be within their legal rights to simply purchase any outstanding licenses or settle directly with the vendor in question and completely dismiss the BSA altogether thereby eliminating the need to pay any fines or added fees.

  3. Re:Sure, blame the IT guy by asuffield · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My experience with small/medium businesses has been that the CEO/CFO don't want to spend the bucks necessary to get everybody legal and the poor IT guy gets stuck having to ignore the problem or find a new job.


    About once every two months, our director comes to me saying that he wants MS Office installed on some box or other, and I quote him the current list price for it (£320, last I checked). He says that he's already got a copy. I tell him that you have to buy one copy per box. He says that he's got an old copy that didn't have that restriction. I tell him that the rule has always been there, and the only thing that's changed is that the new versions have the silly "activation" nonsense added. He says he never knew that.

    Two months later, we do this again. Bizarre.