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How Do You Deal With Pirated Programs At Work?

Posted by Soulskill on from the make-them-walk-the-plank dept.

LoneAdminOK writes "I started working for a small company in the middle of January as their IT Manager. I am the first actual 'IT Guy' that they have had; before me it was someone that performed another job within the company and just handled the IT on the side. The problem that I am running into is that most of the software I am finding on the network and on people's computers isn't owned by the company. The person before me would just get it from 'somewhere' and install it on the computers as needed. This is putting me in a bad position when I have to reinstall the program or find it to install on someone else's computer. Often, I am telling people that we don't have it or we have to buy another license, and they get mad at me because the other guy said that we had it. I can't even tell where the versions of Windows Server that they are running came from. The only one I know is legit is the one that is installed on an HP server with the OEM sticker on it. How have any of you handled a situation like this? I don't install 'borrowed programs' in a production environment because I know that if the BSA got wind of this, it would all fall on me when they stormed in."

2 of 958 comments (clear)

  1. Most Slashdotters by bonch · · Score: -1, Troll

    You're asking Slashdot how they deal with piracy? Slashdotters HATE creators' rights. Most will be fully in favor of piracy and consider it a "cultural revolution" or "free advertising" or whatever ridiculous excuse they've concocted that week to make themselves not feel guilty.

    You see, most Slashdotters downloaded Linux one day for free and suddenly decided all things should be for free. I know, it's not logical, but that's how Slashdotters think. If they got one thing for free, they should get all things for free! It's likely that the IT guy who installed the pirated software reads Slashdot religiously and posts in response to every anti-RIAA article about how wonderful and unstoppable piracy is. On Slashdot, creators are slaves to pirates.

  2. Re:devil's advocate by KudyardRipling · · Score: -1, Troll

    Fear not, the Obama tax plan will see to it that at least ninety percent of that settlement goes to the IRS.

    --
    Submission as evidence constitutes plaintiff and/or prosecutorial misconduct.