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Software Piracy At the Beijing Branch Office?
spirit_fingers writes "I'm the IT manager for a west coast design company that has a small branch office in Beijing with 5 employees, a few workstations and a couple of servers. Recently, it came to my attention that the Beijing office has been routinely installing and using pirated software on their computers — MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite, mostly. We're very buttoned up about being legal with our software here at the home office, and I consider it unprofessional and risky for our Beijing office to be engaging in this practice. When I called the local office manager on this, he shrugged and replied, 'Well, every other shop here does it.' So I was wondering if there are any IT manager Slashdotters here in the the US who may have experienced something similar with their colleagues in APAC, and how they handle a situation like this." Click the link for more of this reader's thoughts on the subject.
Up until now, the powers that be here in the States have had a relatively laissez faire attitude about what goes on at the Beijing office and our accounting department hadn't noticed that Beijing never submitted receipts for software, until I questioned them about it.
I have no doubt that "everyone else does it" in that environment. Frankly, I could care less what those guys do with their personal computers, but when it comes to company-owned gear my attitude is to stay legal no matter what anyone else is doing. And it's not like they need to do it to save money: the Beijing branch turns a tidy profit. It just seems to be an attitude so firmly ingrained in the culture over there that no one gives it a second thought.
My response (CC'd to our CFO) was to ask for copies of all receipts and serial numbers for the software they're using. and see what happens. This came down today, so I'll give them a day or two to come up with something.
Up until now, the powers that be here in the States have had a relatively laissez faire attitude about what goes on at the Beijing office and our accounting department hadn't noticed that Beijing never submitted receipts for software, until I questioned them about it.
I have no doubt that "everyone else does it" in that environment. Frankly, I could care less what those guys do with their personal computers, but when it comes to company-owned gear my attitude is to stay legal no matter what anyone else is doing. And it's not like they need to do it to save money: the Beijing branch turns a tidy profit. It just seems to be an attitude so firmly ingrained in the culture over there that no one gives it a second thought.
My response (CC'd to our CFO) was to ask for copies of all receipts and serial numbers for the software they're using. and see what happens. This came down today, so I'll give them a day or two to come up with something.
Because it's illegal to pirate software, maybe if you took it seriously there wouldn't be 5000 people out of jobs...
I know, how about we give them your phone number, and you can explain it to them?
You are so wrong it's impossible to believe.
Firstly, the European Left has been talking shit about America for so long it's not believable. It doesn't mean they'll actually do anything. And they represent less than or equal to 50% of the European populace. Not all of the left is rabidly anti-American either (see Labour for example).
Secondly, Europe does not have an integrated foreign policy. Even if the President of Europe did want to declare war on America (highly unlikely, see first point) it would merely be a polite request. I can't see them persuading anyone except maybe France of the need to invade America.
Lastly, politicians here are blaming America for the financial crisis as it is a convenient escape route to cover their own mismanagement (the only European economy without its own weaknesses is Germany, and Germany is still probably over-exporting). Do not mistake what our leaders say for either popular opinion or the truth.
In fact, my prediction is that with the current left-ward shift in America and right-ward shift in Europe, along with significant agreements on many issues (e.g. Iran), I'd say that the transatlantic alliance is likely to be stronger in the future, not weaker.
All intents and purposes. Not intensive purposes.
I consider myself a member of the English left. I am vastly more leftwing than the current Labour government we have.
I do not blame the US for the current recession. I blame the bankers who lent money they did not have and our own government for letting us become to dependant on the financial services industry. I think almost everyone I talk to feels pretty similar.
I certainly have not heard anyone blaming the US as you were in recession long before us.
As for Europe going to war with the US that is just pie in the sky fantasy of some nutter american. There is no way anyone in Europe would support such a war. We have had too many wars on our own shores. After world war two we had to rebuild almost every city to some extent, we have no desire to repeat this. Another war of the scale the original poster talked about would almost certainly degenerate into a nuclear conflict. Only someone who had never seen their own country levelled would even consider such a conflict ever starting, so unless the US choose to invade us its not going to happen. The US is unlikely to ever invade since despite the occasional disagreement, we are actually on pretty good terms.
I dont read
Let's not even forget the fact that both France and Germany as of late have actually had stronger relations with the US since their respective new President and Chancellor have been voted into office. Ironically, both governments are more conservative than our own now.
Correction, I forgot that the Chancellor is not voted into office, but chosen instead by the President in the case of Germany. But now I'm just splitting hairs.
> I can't see them persuading anyone except maybe France of the need to invade America.
You've got it backwards. France doesn't invade other countries. France gets invaded *by* other countries. Though, when the US invaded France, it was in cooperation with the French, so I'm not sure that really counts.
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
Just so you know, massive demonstrations in France in the last few days showed that France state of mind != French president for now.
IIRC, the popularity rate of french president is 41% favorable opinions.
The general population is not closer of US despite the new president but thanks to him. Bush was and always remained very unliked (apart from the president).
> I consider myself a member of the English left.
England is more friendly with the US than some of the other countries in Europe, however.
Not that any of them are ready to go to *war* with us or anything, but politically there are some countries in Europe that just sort of don't look our way with much favor, if you know what I'm saying.
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.