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Software Piracy At the Workplace?
An anonymous reader writes "What does one do when a good portion of the application software at your workplace is pirated? Bringing this up did not endear me at all to the president of the company. I was given a flat 'We don't pirate software,' and 'We must have paid for it at some point.' Given that I was only able to find one burnt copy of Office Pro with a Google-able CD-Key, and that version of Office is on at least 20 computers, I'm not convinced. Some of the legit software in the company has been installed on more than one computer, such as Adobe Acrobat. Nevertheless I have been called on to install dubious software on multiple occasions. As for shareware, what strategies do you use to convince management to allow the purchase of commonly used utilities? If an installation of WinZip reports thousands of uses, I think the software developer deserves a bit o' coin for it. When I told management that WinZip has a timeout counter that counts off one second per file previously opened, they tried to implement a policy of wait for it, do something else, and come back later, rather than spend the money. Also, some software is free for home and educational use only, like AVG Free. What do you when management ignores this?"
Do what you're told. Look for another job.
Acts 17:28, "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being."
Have this video play every time the boss logs in -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up863eQKGUI
Best to do it in the registry and not the start-up folder because most users have no clue how to stop something from running when it's in the registry.
Unfortunately ignorance of the law is no defense. The same is true for not saying anything when you witness a crime being committed. It's called obstruction. So, CYA: leave the company as soon as you can. Assume you WILL be held accountable in the future.
They have a rewards program that will pay you money for turning in your company.
Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
Dob them in for $5,000 a shot.
It's anonymous.
Meanwhile, look for another job.
But you've pointed it out, you've tried to do the right thing and the only thing left to fix the company system is to find and install legit free software.
If they refuse even that, look for a job and cash in what you know.
Then when they fire you, sue as a whistle-blower, take all their money, and shut the crooks down.
I can see two honorable paths here:
You can find them FOSS substitutes for their existing software.
You can find another job.
If you want to be optimistic you can stand your ground with the managers and state: "I will not install software unless I'm certain we have a proper license for it." And see if they show you the door, or attempt to find some kind of compromise. People that take the time to look seriously at Open Office often like what they find. So there is a slim hope, but odds are, these are not the class of people you want to make a career with, and you'll be happier working somewhere that ethical compromises are not a daily expectation.
For most purposes, reasonably people look at the available data first and then infer a conclusion. When it comes to "moral" matters, though, you get a certain subset of people who work in the opposite direction.
Instead of saying "Well, I do seem to be surrounded by CD-R copies of commercial software activated with leaked VLKs, I must be a dirty pirate." they say "I'm obviously a good person, and good people don't do bad things, therefore the things that I have done could not possibly be bad."
This would be merely harmless idiocy, were it not for the fact that most of those people are completely wrong.
Security essentials is free for business, so replace AVG with that:
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/
7Zip is free and OSS. Replace Winzip with that. Heck, XP has its own zip handler installed. A lot of techies assumed that XP needs a zip program because 2000 didnt have one. Get rid of it.
http://www.7-zip.org/
PDFCreator is free and OSS. It can make PDFs. Most people just need to make them, not 'edit' them.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/
For utilities like winzip, replace them with open source stuff like 7zip. Explain that it's ok to be used for commercial use, and it avoids annoying licensing costs. As for the other stuff, shoot an email to your management about it and print it out. If they refuse to listen, at least you have a hard copy on record showing that you tried to warn them. Then, if anything ever happens legally you've tried to notify them and you can't get canned. If they do, they'll have a hefty wrongful termination lawsuit on their hands. If it really bothers you, find a new job and call the BSA. Tattletale. :-P
If they're dishonest in one area, well, they're dishonest, period. You'll get dicked over if you stay there. Frankly, I have no qualms about calling the BSA about places like this....
Do you have ESP?
Document everything and then turn them in. Of course the previous look for another job applies as well.
I eat Karma for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's why I don't have any.
Anonymously to the BSA. And start looking for a new job.
First off, you shouldn't need to use Winzip, every computer since like Windows 95 has had its own method of compression to send files. Toss that out, and just use the right click "Send to compressed (zip) folder".
Secondly, If your boss is saying that you had to have paid for software at one point, tell him that you're going to have to buy licenses for each time that software is used.
This means that either
A) Your IT Budget is going way up
or
B) Other Departments are going to have to expense their own software, and you just aid in the installation and support.
If your IT Manager is content with what software you've got going on, either knowing full well that its trial version or doesn't care, than its really not your place to challenge that, and you go with it.
If YOU are the IT Manager, you need to get some backbone and tell the Chief that you are at serious risk of lawsuit.
Instead of accsing the company of piracy (even if they're guilty), use another approach.
Say, I'm concerned that renewing future licenses will be very expensive. Say, the 1,000 copies of Winzip at $30 each is $30,000. 7-zip is a free alternative that actually works better, and will save the company $30,000 the new time those licenses need to be renewed. Alnd OpenOffice saves $400 per license over MS Office. OpenOffice comes with free PDF export functionality, which saves the $500 Acrobat license.
You may get approval to install free, legal alternatives and get rid of the pirated software. Even better, instead of being seen as the problem (the person who has a moral objection to their piracy), you'll be seen as a solution.
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
If piracy is really that bad -> https://reporting.bsa.org/usa/home.aspx
It is what they are there for.
~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
The ethical thing to do at this stage in the game is to drop a dime on'em. The sensible thing to do is to ensure that you still have an income afterwards. Count on the boss finding out and retaliating; whether that is illegal or not, factor that into your plans.
"My strength is as the strength of ten men, for I am wired to the eyeballs on espresso."
Quit the company. Get an attorney. Claim there is a hostile environment because you know they are breaking laws and you are asked to break the laws too, and then report the company to BSA and sue them? (for the hostile work environment)
Seriously, 7-zip is not only free, but in many aspects faster and better than WinZip.
In office environments like this, management's stand is very unlikely to change. Trying to change their minds will be an exercise in futility, so you need to just focus your decision making on whether or not you are willing to stick around and be a part of it, or would rather look for another job.
Shawn Asmussen
With 7-zip. Consider making a donation too, of course.
You have to go legit. There are small things you can do to help bring them in compliance, like install 7-zip rather than WinZip, but it's damning that you've been ignored by management after mentioning the problem.
I'd feel better reading about your situation if management had said "yeeeah, it's a big problem, we're working towards being legit". Bald faced denial means you have to get the hell out of there.
You are going to have to find another job. After you're out of there, you can forget all about it or report them to the BSA based on how big a dick you want to be. I'd usually never advise reporting a company to the BSA but if they've basically forced you out of your job I think it would be fair play.
I started this post with the idea that I would make a joke similar to what RMS says about piracy requiring guns and ships but when I stopped to think about the words pirate and piracy, it really is odd that they're used when software is executed outside the limits of a license. It's totally reasonable in the face of ridiculous license terms to want to get past all that and just use the software. That's why we've gone from no product keys to product keys to activation and now to automatic auditing like Windows Genuine Advantage. With invasive tools like WGA that can scan your system and send who-knows-what back to the developer even holding your system hostage against bug and security fixes, I'm starting to feel like piracy is closer to what's happening on the developer side of the equation. Just another reason to shift to free(as in freedom) software...
I was in this situation once and I flatly refused to install the unlicensed software. If you have mentioned the issue to management, they already see you as someone they can't trust. You may as well report them to https://reporting.bsa.org/usa/home.aspx or the like, because your days are numbered at this company.
Damping absorbs vibrations. Dampening is caused by moisture.
If you Dare http://www.fastiis.org/our_services/enforcement/reportingPiracy/
If you don't like your job, get a new one and then as you leave, snitch to the BSA for the bounty money.
Test your net with Netalyzr
Offer a solution. If you go to your boss's office and tell him he is a thief he's not going to be happy. But if you get in there and offer a free alternative it should be a good way of bringing things up.
Openoffice can do the job if everybody switch together. 7-zip is a good replacement for winzip. I'm pretty sure lot's of software has free (like in open source) alternative. Try, you'll see where it lead you. :-)
Document, CYA, think about finding a new job (under the principle that this is one symptom of management that is likely poor in lots of ways).
We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
A friend of mine was uncomfortable with using the pirated s/w at her company and so switched her computer and work products
from (pirated) Office to OpenOffice, (pirated) MatLab to Octave, and VBA to python. She also brought the overall issue up with the CEO, suggesting
that the company should pay for its payware, or switch to FOSS.
Needless to say, not long afterwards, she was terminated with some lame excuse but it's clear it was for not being a "team player".
The 95% of the technology startups in our town are laughingly underfunded
(e.g. reverse mortgage on CEO's house and small contribution from Aunt Tilly's bakery), so they have no
money for legit licenses. Unfortunately, the management at many are too stupid to understand that there are perfectly good FOSS
alternatives for all of it.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
I am a sysadm/web developer for a smallish manufacturing business. When I got here, there licensing was a complete and utter mess. They had about half the number of Office licenses as needed (And half of those were Home/Student Edition), they had a centralized AV solution that they were still getting updates for but hadn't paid for in three years, and just overall were NOT compliant.
I brought it to the company president's attention. Buying 40 Office licenses at a time (Probably around $10000 for Small Business) as well as 70-80 AV subscriptions (Maybe another $2000), and various other server and client software (Around $12,000 more) was not something they wanted to do. They did agree to take it slow and get legit over a period of time. During that period, I did install Office on more machines but they bought the licenses over a period of 18 months. In the end, I am happy to say we are nearly 100% compliant.
So I guess instead of going to him with a HUGE bill, maybe write up a plan to go legit over the next year or two. They may balk at a one time large sum of money but be willing to pay $1000 here, $2000 there or something. Worked for me. If the company is too cheap to even do that, you probably aren't going to you as an employee and are probably better off starting to look around....
If you like the company and/or your job, I would get a copy of the license agreement for the software that you believe is pirated and show it to the boss. Explain how what you have observed violates the license and suggest that the company either pay for the software or make the transition to free software. Alternatively, if you don't like the company, I'm sure you've seen the BSA ads all over Slashdot.
Asked and answered.
Don't think that the company president who "didn't know he was using pirated software" won't serve you up as the sacrificial lamb to the Powers That Be in a heartbeat when some disgruntled ex-employee rats to the BSA. At that point, you'll be out of a job the hard way, with the kind of black stain on a record that no young IT guy wants to have.
Information wants to be free!!
AVG is only for home use - even educational institutions have to buy it.
Will you get fired for non installing illegal software? Probably not.
Only install legit software or you are complicit.
Who the hell uses a crappy shareware version (let alone a crappy paid-for software) for zipping? I mean, Office I can barely understand if the company runs some proprietary document management server like Citrix, but there is no excuse not to use 7-zip.
it may be one of those MSDN keys that everyone has. Use 7zip instead of WinZip.
I agree - ethical, legal, or not, they'll find a way to get rid of you. Or at least make working there so intolerable you quit (better for them, btw, so I'd expect this). So secure another job or be ready to tough it out until you do.
But yes, as much as I hate them, it's time to document, document, document and then call the BSA. Your business is blatantly violating licensing terms. Declaring compliance by fiat - aka, "we don't pirate software, therefore violating the license terms isn't piracy" - is somewhat like trying to declare yourself a virgin when you're already pregnant.
When the lamb has struggled so long and hard to get food fight illness and brave the elements, don't you think it deserves to not be killed by the lion? WinZip, that succulent little lamb, will be eaten by us, the vicious software pirates, however we moralize. It is our nature.
interface is shit
You better watch out, there may be dogs about . .
Make sure you have written documentation expressing your concern, then move on. Then if they ever just royally screw you over, you can tell on them!
Browse at -1 to keep an eye out for abuses.
Polish resume and begin looking for work elsewhere. Either they're willing to risk prosecution for profit or else they are doing so poorly your job isn't that secure anyway. If you otherwise like them, you could suggest open source alternatives, but the way you've presented it, it smells bad.
Tell your boss that this is important, and that the company needs to pay for it, and you feel obligated to report it as you will be liable also. Then offer helpful suggestions as to who you can lay off in order to allocate money to pay for the software. Will it be friendly Bob, or the pregnant lady in the accounts department? Alternatively you can just shut your mouth and get another job like everybody else said.
Don't play their game.
Piracy is ship to ship armed robbery. Unless this company is boarding a ship full of software with cutlasses drawn... it isn't piracy. Calling infringement piracy makes it seem worse than it is and makes light of what is happening off the coast of Africa.
Cue the descriptivists....
Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
We've been over this ground many times.
Document (as in "make sure the decision maker is aware of it") the need for an audit of software licenses. If they refuse to permit that, cover your ass as best you can and start looking for another job.
If they permit the audit, do it. If you come up short in the licenses-to-installed copies ratio, document that. If they refuse to mitigate (buy licenses or delete installations) cover your ass as best you can and look for another job.
It is your job to make the decision makers aware of the licensing terms, show them how the organization is or is not in compliance with those terms, and to educate them as to the consequences of failing to comply. If you are not allowed, at the very minimum, to do these things, rest assured that it will be you who is blamed when that willful negligence comes back to bite the organization. Cover your ass and get the documentation that shows you at least tried to get them to do the right thing.
I don't have all the answers for you, but at least try not use shareware. Try to use freeware if you can help it. For instance, WinZip used to be good may be ten years ago, but now there are many much better, and easier to use, freeware alternatives (thought, out of all those candidates, you'll have to read their licenses to make sure the one you select is pure freeware. These days, there are many shareware programs that falsely advertise themselves as freeware).
Second, don't mention the specific software in question.
Third, find a new job quickly now that this information is out.
I'm not a lawyer, but isn't the idea behind a corporation such that individuals are not held legally responsible for crap like this, but the company as a whole is?
I worked for a company eight years ago that bought a software company. They were all about getting tough on piracy that they created a task forced headed by the top legal counsel in the company. In meetings, they talked about the steps they took, smacking down pirates.
Everyone of those anti-piracy motherfuckers were just as bad as the people who they were cracking down. They all traded cracked copies of shit out of the meeting. I didn't think it was that bad until I was at work late one night. The head counsel visited my desk, asked for a cracked copy of photoshop, then borrowed one of my photoshop books. No joke.
This company is still in business today. I don't know if those people are still there, but they ran that small software division into the ground.
The funny thing, that's when I started posting on Slashdot. Jesus Christ, I can't believe I've been visiting the same web site for eight years. I need a life.
Sorry, I don't understand you. You were trying to explain how endangering one's job to avoid engaging in unethical behavior is a cowardly thing to do?
how about you stop being such a whiney baby. pirated software?! oh no! this is computer land, proprietary software be damned. get over it.
Nobody likes a tattle-tale.
"believe in my innocence and I might consider yours." -- charles bukowski "Scientific progress goes 'boink'?" -- Calvin
As you start getting a good idea that you can find a better job, send an email to your boss expressing concern that there may be unlicensed software installed on computers in your company. Don't make a big deal about it, since this is your CYA measure. You probably will not get a response or just get a verbal response. Print this email out and keep it, along with any replies.
After you have your job offer, say your goodbyes. Optionally, you can drop a dime to the BSA and rat out your old employers. Be careful about this last step, however, because this last step might kill your old company and everybody there will be out of a job.
This is where the FOSS people need to fish or cut bait. On one hand you might not believe that software should be something you pay for, but on the other, you want genuinely FOSS systems to succeed. In my mind, the choice is clear cut. The guy should do what I did. If you don't want to pay for Windows + Office, then switch to Linux. You have to respect Microsoft's IP.
Granted, what MS does is pretty stupid. The more they clamp down on licensing, the more users will bolt.
This is my sig.
Suddenly piracy is a bad thing on slashdot? What happened to all the arguments that copying software is not stealing? What happened to all the arguments that piracy is great for software companies? I guess it's one of those things that's only bad when other people do it.
I dunno about bootleg software, but on the next Talk Like A Pirate Day I'd love to put my computer in "Arrrgggg, Matey" mode.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
You can remain anonymous and collect money for reporting depending on a variety of factors:
https://reporting.bsa.org/usa/home.aspx
CYA, CYA, CYA. Document the crap out of your findings and suggestions to Management. If they don't listen then you have proof that you informed them of their evil ways. Then you can jump ship and call the SBA. Personally, I made it my job to uninstall every piece of illegal software in my organization. People didn't like it. People complained. But included in my job description was "ensuring the proper use of software". So, that's what I did. I became the BOFH very quickly.
At this point, you feel a little queasy, but probably not enough to quit your job... it probably doesn't seem like a big enough deal over which to quit. But, your boss is demonstrating that he does not feel queasy which means that if this trend continues, you may be doing something very unseemly for him before you know it. Ethics is a hard one because you need to work and minor offenses that your boss approves don't really reflect on you, right? You are doing what you are told and you even wrote something on Slashdot which should help clear you conscience.
That fact is that all companies do some unethical things (which is why companies should be highly regulated IMHO). We should consider what it really means though for you to follow orders in this case.
First, you are validating your bosses bad behavior and in effect telling him that he's doing a good job.
Second, you are encouraging other people to copy software.
Third, you are not taking a stand and demonstrating to others that your own ethics might be less-than-stellar.
Lastly, there is the legal issue. You might just go to jail.
Other than quitting, you can simply find out the costs, present them to your boss as a plan for upgrade, and give it to him every few weeks. That way, you are taking initiative, demonstrating that you care, and showing that most software doesn't really cost very much. Also, encouraging the company to use open source might just push him toward being more ethical and get you a promotion.
If it's easy for your boss to screw others, and even a cheap WinZip is too much to pay, how hard is it for him to screw you too? Find a job where you don't have to be constantly watching your back.
1. Quit your job
2. Report company to BSA
3. ???
4. PROFIT!
You mean, somebody's likely to start a religion around his company?
If the masses can keep you down, you're not the Ubermensch.
Sometimes companies do have valid licenses (usually purchased in bulk) but no one has any idea where they are and what the heck happened to the software keys. Not every company is blessed with IT departments or people - so from their point of view, they paid for it, and they just use whatever method they can to get it working, this is especially true on the other side of the world where calling the local Microsoft or vendor office won't get you much help. And no way they are going to call a US hot-line to get it resolved
In a local court of law, especially one where software rights are acknowledged, sometimes the actual software and license key is irrelevant as long as the paper trail holds up
You can always report them to the Business Software Alliance (At your own risk)...however I think the biggest problem with your winzip situation is that you are using nagware for a feature that is now a built in feature in windows. Your best bet is to make some sort of written statement to your supervisor, documenting the problem so that you can't be the proverbial sacrificial lamb.
but my policy on this is to not install pirated/mislicensed software. In three IT jobs, none of them have pushed me to "just do it anyway", but maybe I'm just fortunate that way.
That being said, about 50% of the time they just got one of my coworkers to do it instead, and quit asking me to pirate things for them. And about 20% of the time they actually bought the software, found a free alternative, or did without.
It'd take a pretty stupid manager to press such an issue to the point of firing you. That'd make for an entertainingly short discussion at your unemployment review, and would start a rather heavy boulder rolling.
The new windows tech here is having quite an annoying time trying to sort out all the pirated software that the previous tech was using. He too refuses to help with piracy, and I've simply advised him to tell the managers here we need to buy xxx. And if they say we already have it, just point out it's pirated and we can't use it. I don't think they'll have a problem with replacing the pirated software with legit. I'm glad I don't work somewhere where the CIO is a "pirate wherever you can to save a buck".
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
Track the licenses in a database. Delete all the illegal copies you find. Start filling out purchase orders when someone asks you for their software back.
I'm not talking about your job. I'm talking about the decisions you make. If you do something illegal, you're a criminal. There are various levels of "criminal", but you're a criminal nonetheless. Even deeper than that, if you do something you know to be unethical, then you are unethical. Is that how you want to describe yourself... if even only to yourself?
Here's what I would do: Install the software once and voice your concerns. If you get fired, you have a rock-solid case. If they ask "Why'd you install it in the first place?" you respond, "I was under duress and the first thing I think about is supporting my family. After further thought, I'd rather be a family man who refuses to compromise his ethics and morals even if it means I'd be let go than one who hasn't any worth standing up for."
I'm not saying it's easy to do, think about which person you'd rather be.
On a related topic, businesses really need to embrace freeware. Open Office, Thunderbird, 7-zip, and the like would save massive amounts of money on licensing. Of course, some IT depts are too swamped with work to become sufficiently adept with the new software so that they feel comfortable distributing it around the network. For example: my IT department will not allow Firefox to be installed because the last report they were able to create (around version 1.0) showed Firefox as being HIPAA non-compliant. It has, however, been HIPAA compliant since, like, 1.0001.
One department finally junked Eudora and is adopting Thunderbird as their default mail client instead of Outlook. That's expected to save quite a bit.
Everyone is saying dob them in because they're dishonest/lacking ethics/etc., and nobody is calling you out on calling it piracy rather than copyright infringement. I wish the average slashdotter was so upstanding when it came to discussions on pirating music and movies.
Seriously...what's the difference?
Declaring compliance by fiat ... is somewhat like trying to declare yourself a virgin when you're already pregnant.
Hey, it worked at least once. Maybe the CEO is trying to start a new religion.
End of lesson. You may press the button.
Larry Elison can be such a dick when it comes to the old software piracy question. He;s always saying, "oh, im sure we paid for all of our microsoft products."
every single company I have ever worked at uses pirated software... and sometimes a lot of it. you're going to be hard pressed to find a company that doesn't.. in my experience...
I worked at one place that had a mirror of usenet servers and got everything pirated.
If you're so concerned about CYA, why don't you install any of the freeware alternatives to WinZip that blow the freakin' doors off it? It would take you all of ten seconds at a site like SnapFiles or MajorGeeks to track one down. Same with any other shareware that concerns you.
You could also suggest freeware alternatives for the pirated stuff, along with the advantages of being able to update the stuff.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
You know software like Adobe Acrobat has licenses where you can use the key multiple times? Are you really sure there isn't an invoice about 20 office licenses somewhere in a file?
Because If you decide to take this to the law and you're wrong.. you are the offender.
I quit a job back in april with one of main reasons being their blatant use (or misuse) of unlicensed software. Especially in regards to pirated XP and Office 2007. (In an effort to "make things right" they were trying to install student editions in place of the pirated copies). I was directed several times to install this software, and just plain forced to if I dared to object to the usage.
Unless they cleaned up their act a lot in the last 7 months (which I highly doubt), would it be smart to contact the BSA?
Send the CEO an email detailing your concerns. "Follow up to our conversation", "please advise where the licenses are kept" and "thanks for taking the time to clear this up" - keep it very professional, you're trying to help, you're not accusing. He'll probably reply to you by e-mail (I'd bet on it). Print out both letters and file them away safely.
Why not be the disgruntled ex-employee that rats out the company to the BSA and gets a cut? Sure you'll be a tool, but you'll be the tool with a new Z4.
The best case scenario is that you can migrate them to free software and be hailed a hero. Don't expect it though. Here are the best of the many ideas I've seen posted to slashdot on this recurring topic.
1. Consider putting a lawyer on retainer. Not as expensive as you might think and an hour or so's conversation can ensure that you document all the appropriate recommendations to keep you out of the BSA's sights and do so in a legally admissible fashion.
2. Don't make it look like a crusade so avoid being confrontational. i.e. "We need to find out who uses $software_package so we can put upgrades/support in next year's budget" or "Investigate free-for-commercial-use $kind_of_software to avoid budgeting needs entirely"
3. Document any time you bring it up with your boss. Use email or written word as much as possible. BCC an external email address and/or take backups of your exchanges home. (again, see #1 for region-specific laws)
4. Any time you are given a verbal pat on the head, do an email follow up later and if at all possible put the responsibility of license management on them. "I installed Office on the 2 new-hires' PCs. We have $quantity copies of Office installed to date. Let me know when we are getting close to our license limit as I may be able to remove the software from $clueless_user's PC."
5. List any of your little victories as fiscal savings during reviews or status reports. "Have replaced Adobe Acrobate Suite with $freeware_PDF_exporter, which will lower our licensing overhead by $250/user and allowed for widespread distribution"
6. Be prepared to be thrown under the bus. Companies willing to operate unethically are, by definition, unethical. Even if you never report them to the BSA, someone else might and you, as the IT guy, may be thrown to the wolves. Having that documentation of all the times that the CFO/CEO was stated to be in charge of license management and that you had no knowledge of the licensing limits, plus the fact they knew how many instances of software will at least ensure you get your unemployment and that the BSA won't come after you.
7. If you report them to the BSA, make sure to get the bounty and put your lawyer on notice. The BSA has a vested interest in concealing their informants, but stuff can come out and unethical people do unethical things. They often say or do things that are defamatory in the process. Whistleblower laws should ensure you can get compensation for lost wages, compensation for defamation, damage to career, etc.
I've been on slashdot so long I'm starting to get out of touch with the cool stuff if it ain't on slashdot.
Point it out to the authorities if you want, but IMO, if license management is not a part of your job description, then just install the software as you're told. If ever asked, you can simply state that you brought the subject of license control up previously with your superiors and they informed you that they do have the proper licenses for everything. You're not going to be legally accountable for it - the company and its management is. If you ARE in management, then what the hell are you still doing with the company?
If the boss won't listen, perhaps you're talking to the wrong person. This company have a legal department? Talk to them and point out the potentially cripplingly liability that the company is subjecting itself to by using pirated software.
I'd start looking for a new job, regardless. The kind of company that is fine with cutting some illegal corners to get the job done is not a good place to work.
and then it's every man for himself. You want to protect your own butt so you might want to be the first to call the BSA. You'll want to do this so the people at previous company doesn't frame you for it.
You just admitted you typed the CD-keys of software into google. Google doesn't do anything to keep what people search for hidden, in fact they go out of their way to publish it. Sure it's hard to find things that are only searched for once, but I'm certain that sharing the CD-Keys with a third party - even google - is prohibited by the license agreement
Send this very informative link to your management. Don't Copy that Floppy!
Trolling is a art,
Write a brief (1 to 2 page) plan for the CEO about how to 'better manage' licenses on company computers. The plan should focus on incremental improvement (what to install on new computers, what to install when asked on existing computers).
Have the plan oriented to save money and reduce obligations of share ware. Give a few options, but don't preach about software philosophy.
Advise the CEO, NOT IN WRITING, of some of your concerns for legacy computers, and show him that you're committed to continuous improvement in this area. Remind him that the BSA wields a heavy hammer, and to be mindful of angry ex-employees who might take advantage.
CEO's like plans with no immediate funding requirement, low stress on the organization, and continuous improvement. Write your plan assuming the BSA will eventually read it - that is, don't incriminate yourself or the company.
1. Take a software inventory. Figure out what is installed where, and which license codes/CD keys are being used.
2. Pull records. We get a lot of our PCs pre-loaded with MS apps and Acrobat. Those OEM installs stay with the machines, though many places try to move them forward from machine to machine (thus creating the impression that "we must have bought it sometime").
3. Check online sites, like Microsoft's eOpen site, or contact specific vendors (e.g., call Autodesk or your VAR) and ask them to send you a summary of your current licenses.
4. Document your level of usage against your level of compliance. Include all costs for becoming compliant. Be sure to include one time costs (e.g., buying additional seats) and any recurring costs (e.g., maintenance, back maintenance, reinstatement fees).
5. Educate management that software is licensed, not purchased.
6. Include information regarding the legal liability related to pirated software. Include references to any cases you can find, including actual fines, as well as potential fines (caps). Note the reputational risk to the company as well.
7. Prepare a plan for bringing the company into compliance. Include possible stop-gap measures and alternatives (e.g., limiting the number of users with a specific pieces of software, buying one additional license per year, using OpenOffice).
8. Compile everything into a well-documented report/memo (depending on your company's preferred style), and be sure to present it personally (don't just email it off). Offer to meet at another time, if necessary, but you must make it clear how important this is. Offer to meet with the entire management team. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
9. Let management know you don't plan on blowing the whistle (they'll surely say "nobody knows, so we're fine"), but make them aware that any disgruntled employee could make a call in to the piracy hotline. If you have the intestinal fortitude to do so, you could even make it clear (if it reflects your beliefs) that you value your integrity and that you cannot, in good conscience, help the company steal software/violate contract terms. Of course, that means you need to be ready to put up or shut up.
All that being well and good, you can take some practical steps to start getting things into compliance going forward:
I use irony whenever I can, but my shirts are still wrinkled...
A call to the BSA is not something you want in your job history and it's not our duty to police and report software licenses.
If your companies asset tracking program is that bad and it makes you that uncomfortable, by all means seek more suitable employment but if I was ever checking a reference and it was inferred that the employee had done something like this I would immediately move them off of my list. If you want to do the right thing explain the problem and if they still don't take interest you can explain this is why you'll be seeking employment elsewhere.
Narcing for money (or revenge or misplace moral 'duty') is about as sleazy as using unlicensed software for business.
Quack, quack.
I'll take care of it for you!
My company is more careful about not violating OSS licenses than making sure they don't pirate any shareware
Most small businesses have a hard time dealing with software licensing. Any money that they have to spend on software is less money for them to spend on other things like employee salaries, power bills to keep the lights on, toner for the printers, etc. It sounds to me like the OP has already shot himself in the foot by bringing it up to management.
If pirated software really bothers you then find another job (good luck with that in this market). However ratting your employer out to the BSA is a dickhead move. Whether you like it or not, they are currently paying your salary, and the salary of at least 20 other people. The odds of them getting audited for license compliance are just about zero, unless someone rats them out.
I'd take a long hard look at the situation. There isn't an easy answer. Either you rat out your employer and impose significant costs and lost productivity on a company in a struggling economy, or you live with being a thief for a while until you can find another job. If I were in that situation, I'd just suck it up and start looking for another job. I wouldn't cry myself to sleep if Microsoft loses out on the licensing revenue for 19 copies of Office. And I certainly wouldn't torpedo a company that is providing employment to my community just so that the BSA and Microsoft can earn a couple thousand dollars.
2. Collect your reward.
3. Profit.
Declaring compliance by fiat - aka, "we don't pirate software, therefore violating the license terms isn't piracy" - is somewhat like trying to declare yourself a virgin when you're already pregnant.
</quote>
In 2009, one of those is a logical fallacy, and the other is technically possible.
I'll leave it to the reader to decide which is which.
Report them to BSA.org! They even have a rewards program if they net money, they'll share with you!
you've said your piece, have management sign something that shows that you objected at the time but are following orders, AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. you turn into a nag when you keep bringing something up. sorry, you're just an IT guy, and no, you can't control the entire company.
looking for a job in this economy is a really bad idea, getting fired for being a know it all smart ass is even worse.
you can certainly bring up open source alternatives, bring up the fact that pirated software usually contains trojans that will steal all of their secrets, but once you've made you case and been told what to do, leave it be. you're not going to change the world.
Stop being a sanctimonious bitch about it. If you make a personal decision not to pirate, that's cool. Running around trying to be everyone else's conscience, not so much.
What you SHOULD have done I think depends on what your job function is. If you are paid to be responsible for licensing issues, then yes, you should bring it up. If you are not, then you shouldn't... A regular employee shouldn't be spending their work time nosing around the issue of compliance. Imagine instead if an "I care a lot about strict building codes" software developer or secretary were looking around/inside cube partitions and discovers that the wiring is done slightly incorrectly, but not harmfully, but if directly shown to the city building inspector would force a costly change. The employee would likely be canned or shunned for sharing what amounts to an equivalent concern to the software licensing. You can debate whether the two are "equivalent" (i.e. you might think pirating software is worse than a slight building code violation), but the company/manager's opinion of the question of importance is what matters. They may likely see you as being just as bad as the person complaining about a slight building code violation.
This is commonplace. At the software vendor (Yeah, a business that makes money on consulting and software licensing) I used to work at back in 1994 we started rolling out Thinkpads, first to management and Sales then to other customer facing employees. Someone handed me a single copy of Act and told me to install it on ten systems. I refused. He did so himself and spread rumors that I wasn't a team player. Meanwhile the new data center manager institutionalized software piracy. We had a single copy of MS Project which was installed on the systems of anyone doing project management. This pattern was repeated for other software. My complaints were ignored and I was told to stay out of it. The data center manager was finally canned after telling someone in senior management that it would take three or four days to buy a modem cable through the vendor he was using. High stress thankless job working for cheapskate hypocrites.
Your employer is stealing. Quit.
Go find an honest employer. And no, government work doesn't count.
tool with a new Z4
But you repeat yourself.
Does anyone other than tools drive those?
A trip down memory lane:
"Selling games is strictly self-serving also. Apparently, you think its fantastic for companies to be driven by greed, but the customers should be selfless? Same old shit as the banks - capitalise the profit, socialise the loss."
(damburger 24 Oct Score: 5)
"In what you gave as an analogy, the hypothetical person STOLE food from the restaurant- the restaurant is out the food and drink the person took by not paying. In the case of infringement, someone merely takes a copy thereof- and nobody's out anything save maybe a cash transaction that might or might not have happened. They're not out their original copy, so it's not theft."
(Svartalk 24 Oct Score: 5)
"If I copy something that an artist produced, it doesn't cost that artist either time or effort. The time and effort has already been spent, they have no way of getting it back.
The only possibility is that they might get payment in compensation for it. As long as anything I do does not affect their chance of getting this compensation, I see no possible way in which it can be immoral. Therefore, as long as I can be sure that I am not going to pay for a copy, I see no way that making my own copy is immoral."
(julesh 24 Oct Score: 4)
"Yeah just like getting bit by an ant 'hurts' me, but not really. It's just an ant. Nothing to have a hissy-fit over like IRAA and the BSA seem to be having.
BSA: 'Oh noes! We've been bit an ant. The end is nigh'
US: 'Stop being a wuss.'"
(commodore64_love 12 Oct Score: 4)
I think what's going on here is most people see business purchases of commercial software as a way to justify their own piracy, like this person:
"Through college I had the full version of Matlab/Simulink. I used toolboxes that the school didn't have when doing class projects. I learned everything I could about it and the toolboxes available.
Now, 6 years later, I was able to talk my boss into buying a few extra special toolboxes for the work we do. Something close to $30k a seat a year. Had I never 'pirated' all that software I would have never been able to sell my self to my company, nor sell my company on Matlab toolboxes."
(0100010001010011 12 Oct Score: 4)
Make an attempt to switch them over to free for commercial use products as mentioned (e.g. 7-Zip, whatever free PDF software). That might get them into the mood to switch over to more FOSS or pay for licenses once it's shown to be a success. Then ask "what should we do with the remainder of the license issues" that they are more hesitant to switch from (e.g. Office) pointing out that a disgruntled employee or ex-employee could turn them in for a bounty. You want to appear that you are helping them to avoid a potentially huge fine. They will either go along with it or possibly fire you. If they fire you drop a dime and collect additional unemployment benefits.
Ask for a brown paper bag full of cash in exchange for your silence.
This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
1. Do your own audit on the pretense that you've been reading on the web that the BSA is stepping up enforcement, and you want to be ready with documentation in case you're audited.
2. Submit your calm, rational, objective report to your boss (not the CEO unless that's your boss) and ask for assistance tracking down the "missing licenses."
3. Act as though you're REALLY WORRIED that your WONDERFUL COMPANY might get in trouble, but be subtle about it. Don't make the Queen of Denmark mistake (the lady doth protest too much, methinks)
4. Keep a copy of your audit data and report. Keep a journal of every interaction with your boss or the company brass.
5. If you're disciplined or threatened, maintain the posture that it's all about the company, not about obligation, law, ethics, etc. It's *all about the company's ongoing success*
6. If you're shown the door, you've already got the documentation at home: turn the bastards in to the BSA.
As an I.T. worker and as an employee, you have a moral duty (if not a fiduciary one) to your employer and to your fellow employees to protect them from legal or other threats to the organization. Part of that duty entails things like doing your job competently, avoiding security risks (like propping doors open or not locking your workstation), and so forth. Regardless of the direction from your management, you would be acting negligently if you did not confirm software licensing status to your satisfaction before deploying said software. You can and should say something like, "I can't install this version of Office because it is clearly unlicensed - you can find the CD key on Google." Or: "I need the original media to install this program."
It gets more complicated when your employer uses software subscriptions or some internal software deployment mechanism instead of retail purchases installed by hand. You should still verify compliance as best you can, given that you may not have access to the official digital distribution site, license key list, or subscription terms.
Business people think in terms of risk, so if they require you to justify your actions (because they see you as being obstructionist instead of dutiful), you need to be ready with compliance costs versus potential infringement judgment/settlement costs along. I'm sure BSA has suitably terrifying numbers on their web site. Some managers refuse to see reason because they are incompetent (they don't understand the software license terms) or unethical (they are willfully violating the licenses), which should indicate to you that you need to find new employment. Companies with bad management aren't a good place to work and may not last very long, and in today's economy, you need a lot of time to look for a new job. I think that it's better to start your search while you still have a paycheck and medical insurance.
I'm proud of my Northern Tibetian Heritage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyAY06IcH4Y
First, document everything, and be honestly prepared to walk away from the company and report them to the BSA if needed.
Then, show them the possibilities. Whether that is through FOSS, or buying legitimate licenses... Whatever route you think you may actually have a chance of convincing them to follow
If they take the opportunity you present them to become legit, all is well. If they balk, you walk... and report tham.
because he'll have people asking "where's my winzip" and then "install winzip please". non-techies are pretty upset when you force them to take time out of their already busy day to learn some new technology. zip is probably a bad example, but going from MS office to openoffice is incomprehensible for the average office worker.
It sounds clear they're not going to change business practices. There's always reporting them to the BSE or some other software piracy watchdog then going through a very painful (from what I hear) audit. You've already made known pirated software bothers you and if all of a sudden a watchdog group shows at your door with a warrant or whatever they use... You're screwed as far as continuing with this company. Likely you'll be fired for some unrelated subjective cause.
You can shut-up and look the other way or you can leave and report them. You cannot force them to change, you cannot report them and stay. Do your own math...
-[d]-
You need to figure out your own liability in this matter and take steps to protect yourself. If the BSA audits, can your company use you as a scapegoat? Even if your company doesn't use you, are you liable to BSA fines anyway?
Clearly distinguish 'legal' from 'moral' in your head. 'Moral' advice here will range from 'keep your head down' to 'quit and call the BSA'. That's up to you, but make sure you're 'legally' protected.
Either get licensed or get a new job - seems to be the running theme here. I agree. As the license manager (and product expert) for Adobe Acrobat at my company I can honestly say that if you don't have the support of leadership to get and stay licensed you really need to get a new job. Software worth using is software worth paying for. Many software companies really would rather you became compliant rather than have to deal with litigation - no one wins. And in these economic times your negotiation power is that much greater. You can always threaten with the 'I really like your xyz product, but if terms aren't favorable I guess we will just have to go with the FOSS abc tool. Yea, we are willing to take the functional hit.' Two things - be willing to back it up. Be reasonable in your requests. Sorry - you will never get Acrobat Pro for less that $250/seat unless you are handing over at least seven figures. But by then, you are already at CLP Level 4 pricing - which is a significant discount against list - that you can leverage across ALL your Adobe products (CS, Flex, etc.) For Acrobat - Yea, it's expensive but it does a lot of things that are hard to do with FOSS* tools. You may also want to investigate just 'lower cost' alternatives - Nuance's is pretty good along the solution from ArtsPDF. With some negotiation you may be able to get Nuance's sub $10US/seat. Stay away from PDF995 and other such really low-cost tools - they aren't worth the hassle. The primary problem with them is the way they handle the conversion. Most are implemented as a GDI printer which tends to have problems with some graphics and layout accuracy. Direct to PDF is the best (e.g. Adobe CS tools), but if the underlying library is bunk that makes the PDF bunk. Second best is through PostScript, but it has it's limitations. PDF, as a filetype, is much, much more complicated than many folks realize. A lots of ways to screw it up - not so many to do it right. * Sorry if I rub some folks wrong here - but I have yet to find a FOSS implemented PDF library that is any good. The GNU library, and products based on it (OpenOffice, GhostScript, FOP, etc.) really produce poor quality PDFs in the production world. For quick, one-off work it works just fine. But when you have to take their PDF output and use it as input into another system (or even just to combine them) they tend to breakdown. Or the PDF becomes overly bloated. Yes, the Adobe library is expensive, but I know what I am getting and don't have problems with them. PDFlib is also a really good production-grade library and isn't all that expensive. Licensing terms are more than generous. More language bindings and platforms than you can shake a stick at (even native z/OS - not just USFHFS). We had some reasonable success with iText for on-the-fly generation but in a production print workflow, not all that good.
Endangering one's job, no, since you are only an anonymous snitch. And doing so to avoid unethical behavior? Please. You can get a different job to avoid that. It's obvious that those that snitch to the BSA are just interested in the "rewards of up to $1,000,000 for qualifying reports." Cowardly, indeed.
Where?
The cold hard fact is that right now in most first-world countries, companies are getting rid of IT staff and farming them out to SE Asia.
The few IT professionals left in FWCs really can't leave, because they are considered expendable. Companies know that because of this, they have the IT pros right where they want them. "Do as we say or you will never work again!" And it's more real than most people think. Former IT pros can't get service jobs unless they lie on their apps (to say they have less education than they actually have). Take it from one who's tried. The service jobs don't want educated people because (a) they are more likely to question their work when things get unethical and (b) the company feels they can't count on a long-term commitment from an employee who would at a moment's notice bolt for a better job if anything comes down the pike. A manager from Speedway SuperAmerica actually told me this back in 2005.
It used to mean a college education meant a better chance at a real job. Now, unless your education is in one of the few remaining non-farmable jobs (like health care), it means a one-way ticket to the unemployment line for the rest of your life.
The person stuck in this situation is quite literally in a 'damned either way' situation. He will lose his job, either by whistleblowing as revenge, or by being thrown under the bus when the company gets found out.
This is a tough ethical quandary and certainly I think the OP should be looking for a new job.
But the reality is that if you "drop a dime on'em" you must realize that most small and medium sized companies will not survive after a software audit followed by fines, penalties and paying to bring all their software into compliance.
So yeah, the dirty boss will get his, but all the good people you work with will find themselves unemployed at a time of record unemployment.
Not necessarily.
If it's within your purview, you can always try ordering licenses for the software in question, or submitting the purchase request through proper channels. When asked why, explain that you cannot find any licensing information, and you're looking to protect the company's interests.
That said, it's not your job to make policy, nor is it your responsibility to protect the financial interests of the publishers of the software in question.
So, keep a record of all of your meetings and document all conversations you had with any superiors regarding the situation. Obviously you don't want to include any especially damning details one way or the other -- your goal here is not retribution, it's job and career security. If you said nothing to management about a problem you knew about, then you're at fault. At the same time, you don't want to take the fall if/when someone reports your company. Keeping records will help to defend against either scenario, and improve your job prospects should you be "let go." It's evidence that you were trying to be a team player. CYA -- Cover Your Ass -- but don't rock the boat unless you're prepared for the consequences when everyone ends up in the water (including yourself).
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Write a fake virus, and install it on all PC's in the company. At a determined time, have it generate a popup that says:
"This machine has been infected with the spdpv.exe virus. That is, the Sotware Piracy Detection and Punishment Virus". This virus has detected multiple unlicensed software installations on this PC. Approximately XX GB of YOUR potentlially important data has been identified on this PC. Any attempt to remove this virus will result in the immediate deletion of all this data. The only safe way to remove this virus, is unstall all improperly licensed software, THEN INSTALL PROPERLY LICENSED software. Once you remove the stolen software, you must replace it with properly purchased software, within 24 hours. Not doing so, will result in deletion of your data within 48 hours.
All purchased software you install must be individually licensed for this machine. Buying a copy, then installing it on mutliple machines on your network will be detected, and you won't have 48 hours to fix that one :)
You have 4 days to comply"
For the amount of data identified, use a random # generator. Set the trigger time for your next (LONG) vacation.
Q: has anyone here reaped the reward of that sweet, sweet cash?
Nothing bettar than getting PAID to PUNISH your PHB for not using FOSS!
Seriously...winzip sucks use 7zip instead, its free, opensource and provides alot more options and imho better compression then winzip
"WebTV: bringing the Internet into the shallow end of the gene pool since 1995" - Martin Bishop
Well, it worked in the Bible. :)
Your president is being pretty crappy putting you in this situation. This is much like how accountants have ethical guidelines they are to follow. Management often "leans" on them tell "little white lies". In the case of accountants they are held legally liable for the documents they sign, no matter WHY they actually did it.
In your case the only group you are likely to run afoul of is the BSA. When it comes to making an example of someone, fining them and then getting them to license the software they are after your president, not you.
It's your call on how you handle it. Call the BSA and report them. Do a memo to the president and keep a copy. Explain to him that he will be held liable for fines and jail time if any disgruntled employee or competitor called the BSA. That the BSA is the FINAL arbitrator of what is legit and what is not. That your current setup will net you a perp walk on TV, the company shut down and millions in fines. (Yes, I know they will settle but that it how it starts).
You can try offering alternatives such as freeware. Moving to hosted things like google docs (look a built in backup plan). Ultimately I would look for another job. You WILL not be happy there in the long run. If the president won't pay for software, I promise you that they will fire you when they can find someone who will do your job for less. You have just been hit with a cluestick. You are going to have to find a new job. Your president lied to you when YOU told them that the software was not legit and they said they were sure it was. They have NO ethics and no problem doing something illegal to save a buck. Firing you to replace you with someone cheaper is not nice but is is leagal, why wont they do that? The only questions is do you get to do it while you are still working and can ask for MORE money from a new employer or after you are fired and can only ask for less money.
P.S. The memo that you sent to the president. Is a get out of jail free card when you refuse to install pirate software. Because if you are let go, all you have to do is claim you were terminated in retaliation for NOT committing an illegal act. And yes, the BSA is actually right on this point. It is illegal to pirate software.
Also it bothers me when someone wearing a $500 suit and lives in a mansion want ME to pirate a copy of a $500 program when they spend more than that each month on their favorite hobby.
vi +
Plain and simple; you know they're breaking the law, you told them you know they're breaking the law, their response was to claim ignorance.
We'll get back to claimed ignorance in a second...
When you know someone is breaking the law, you have an ethical and legal responsibility to report them. The moral thing to do is try to resolve it quietly (which you've tried)
I can hear the argument now "but its his employer!!!!" Yeah, and when someone PAYS you to be quiet about them BREAKING THE LAW, that's called bribery, and it's far less ethical than, if say this man just happened to overhear about some random company doing the same thing.
Bottom line: you know about someone breaking the law. He doesn't seem to be aware of it (which is no excuse - it is the ethical responsiblity of a citizen to make himself aware and knowledgeable of all societal standards s/he's expected to comply with). If you don't now report it, you are not only implicitly involved in the original crime (especially as you seem to be the one routinely asked to implement these illegal orders), you're potentially breaking DIFFERENT laws as well
Back to the claimed ignorance. There are two distinct possibilities:
He's lying - in which case, he's complicit in soliciting your participation in a crime
He's telling the truth - in which case, he needs to learn that this is a matter worth his personal attention in the future, before the problem becomes even more of a financial quagmire (as it is, it's sounding like it'll take 10's or 100's of thousands of dollars to get into compliance...)
so, either he's lying to try to trick you into breaking the law for him, or he's telling the truth and a total idiot...
In either case, reporting him becomes a moral issue, as your current and future employability, and therefore livelihood, is being endangered by his action (or lack thereof)
I don't know how anonymous you can make it, but the BSA (http://www.bsa.org/country/Report%20Piracy.aspx) seems like a good choice for this...
If you install something that you know for sure does not have a legit license:
1. Are you committing a crime? ( as in fines and jail time )
2. When you have discussed it with management and then do it, are you committing the crime of conspiracy?
3. Will management (or others in the know) attempt to blackmail you with this information?
4. If you stay there a while, and leave, and a few years later the company gets nailed for this, do you remove them from your resume? If you do, what do you put there instead?
Of course, these all depend on where you are and other factors...
Just be sure that when you call a Z4 driver a tool, you're ready to back it up.
If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
This 'ere scurrvy scallywag be tauntin ourr profession? Me thinks this landlubber's in fer some keelhaulin, strring 'em up!
won't serve you up as the sacrificial lamb to the Powers That Be in a heartbeat when some disgruntled ex-employee rats to the BSA
Documentation is key. When you bring up formal complaints with management, document them. It's quite hard for them to paint you as a sacrificial lamb when you have a paper trail stating the opposite of their claims.
Also, as other have said, if the complaints fall on deaf ears, it might be a good idea to jump ship for a more reputable company.
There is also the possibility to educate your manager/boss about the serious risk of using unlicensed software and the potential financial consequences. This would require you to risk getting really honest with him.
As you educate, you may offer FOSS alternatives and have him make the choice. You can also educate him on how difficult it is for you to partake in an ambiguously legal activity by fulfilling his requests.
This has the potential to create a more honest environment, more connected relationship with the person you work for, and more integrity for the company.
No need to be a hardball and issue ultimatums. Rather, offer solutions and convey where you're at while retaining clear boundaries. And, next time you install something, you may ask for a legally obtained serial, and possibly educate him about the one-license per employee concept.
Good luck.
I'd prefer this Z4 over the car.
not like this has ever been tried before -- hell, you might even think of making an entire religion out of your immaculate conception.
One poster said "your goal here is not retribution, it's job and career security."
I understand people have families and have big fears of losing their jobs, but I say well done to you for wanting to do the right thing and not just thinking of yourself.
The same people who would stand by corporate theft of software are the same people who would work for a company who manufactures their stuff in sweat shops. Extreme example? Maybe. True? Most definitely. They don't have the balls to stand up for what they believe and instead reinforce the attitude with each other that it's ok to think only of yourself. Cowards. Screw them.
Call the BSA and collect the reward "Bounty" they offer.
Live off it till you find a new job, leave this part (reporting your employer to the BSA) off your resume.
Lather rinse repeat till enough BSA Blood Money has accumulated so you can retire.
Give the company a solid chance to come clean and fix up their licensing issues, with enough information to decide whether they want to. A lot of these issues can be cleared up with truly free software. Some things, like the WinZip delay thing, are technically not illegal but sure can't be helping internal feelings about the company's compliance (in other words, they are obvious signs that the company has licensing issues, and therefore might make a disgruntled employee a nice severance package courtesy of the BSA).
Make sure you have CLEAR documentation that you are undergoing that effort and are actively communicating your findings to management. Make sure that said documentation points out the cost and risk of not complying, and make it clear that while you have no interest in profiting by reporting it, others easily might. That may include citations of the BSA's cut and how much a disgruntled employee could potentially make if they decided to.
Don't threaten to blow the whistle yourself, but make it clear that someone easily could, and try to work with them to get things cleared up. At the same time, be sure it is well documented that you are a driving force for compliance. That way, if the company decides to screw you over and make you the scapegoat, you have plenty of evidence to demonstrate that the problem was there long before you were, and that you were trying to get them in compliance.
If, after all of your effort, the company decides that they would rather continue operations as-is, you have to let your conscience and circumstances be your guide on that one. Generally the proper thing to do is leave the company and contact the BSA. But you have to call the shots as you see them - if your employer is your father-in-law or has a title of of "Don", or both, you might want to simply become a very respectful advocate for truly free software and hope you can cop a plea if the company ever gets caught. And do what you're told because Guido can make the BSA boys look like rank amateurs, and a few years in prison with intact kneecaps is better than doing a personal verification to see if cement footwear is waterproof. I mean, I like the water and all, but...
As far as your immediate "what do I do about the computer in front of me" issue... Personally, I have refused and will continue to refuse to install software on company hardware unless it's clearly legal to do so.
I can also say that really easily - I've only had one company ever ask it of me, and they had some serious compliance issues, but the decision was easy. After a long meeting with a few executives about the risks to the company and an honest assessment how much money the company was really "saving", they decided it was best to spend the money on valid licenses and have me remove anything that was not in compliance until we could clear things up.
This was also a financial management company that had a lot of customer data in their possession and processed checks and other monetary instruments by the thousands every day - having the word hit the street that they couldn't count licenses or were knowingly engaging in piracy could lead to an exceptionally unpleasant visit from people far less forgiving than the BSA. They had also never had an IT resource before - each department bought their own software and I was their first foray into a centralized IT "organization", if you want to call a young snot-nosed kid happy to have a folding table in the server room as his desk on his first IT job an "organization".
The uninstall/buy/reinstall process was VERY ugly, but at the end we had a fully compliant company with a clear sheet of purchased licenses and a clean process for transferring licenses from computer to computer, and all the install media was locked away. I won't say we hit 100%, people still brought in pirated software (this was in the Windows 3.11 days, much harder to prevent it back then). But we had pretty clear documentation that we were doing our best to keep things clean.
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
agreed, anyways if someone else rats them out and he has left there isn't any guarantee someone else won't try to hang him out to dry - even after he's left. Get another job, rat them out, go to a competing business, rat them out, get out asap and call on your first day off of payroll.
Under the influence of Post-Cyberpunk Gonzo Journalism
This is a dangerous position to be in, since **** rolls downhill when someone calls the BSA. First thing to do at this point is get some documentation. Email the CEO with your same concerns, maybe add in some of your research, and get his response via email, then print it out & save it! Then, when the audit happens and he points the finger at you, you can defend yourself. Otherwise, your conversation with the CEO (and his response) is irrelevant. Remember: if it isn't written down, it never happened -- the CEO could say you were installing unlicensed software without his knowledge, and then its your neck on the line.
And as far as calling an audit goes, think VERY carefully before calling the BSA in. It's going to be pretty obvious to the CEO who called the BSA, especially after you've been coming to him with these concerns. They may not know 100% for sure, but that's not going to stop them from finding some way to get rid of you. More importantly, if your CEO is networked well within your local business community, he may be able to blackball you from getting another job. Based on the information you've given, I would personally go for a paper trail where the CEO tells you NOT to fix the licensing issues, save that, and look for employment elsewhere. If you're going to call the BSA, wait until ~6 months after you're happily employed elsewhere before burning those bridges by calling an audit.
Copyright is theft.
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
There's a certain amount of liability in using non-freeware. Even if you purchased a license for the software, without proof you're in for a world of hurt if anyone makes an issue of it (and, Business Software Alliance members like Microsoft do periodically audit licensees and companies they reserve tips about). An audit is a pain in the butt, but the cost in responding if you don't have the information can be pretty rough. And, if it turns out they want to make a case of it, keep in mind there's a $200,000 fine and possible jail time for any willful violation (if it gets as far as court).
If you want to indemnify yourself, the first order of business is to write an e-mail to the senior management (and legal, if you have a legal department) simply stating that you are reviewing the software license compliance and find that the documentation is lacking. Point out that the licensors due reserve the right to audit the company, and there's ample precedence for them doing so to small and medium-sized businesses. Note that failure to document compliance properly is a potential liability.
Wait for a response. If they tell you not to worry about it, then you need to decide whether you need to report suspected piracy to the BSA or vendor, or whether you'll sit tight. Chances are pretty good that you won't get audited, but if you do, you're going to probably be partially responsible. If you report to BSA - they won't tell your company why they are knocking at the door, but your boss is likely to have his/her suspicions.
From the CEO's point of view, there's a cost/benefit to consider. Compliance comes at a cost. Non-compliance has a potential cost which could be much higher, but the probability of that cost occurring is low. If the cost of non-compliance times the probability of getting caught is lower than the cost of compliance, then non-compliance is a lower risk/cost. For a company that has a mandate to be profitable, compliance with laws and regulations only makes sense if the cost of compliance is cheaper than the cost of non-compliance.
Personally, I'd sell my company up the river if I thought the blood-letting would be reasonably contained to the management responsible. If I felt that it would kill the company and endanger innocent people's jobs, I'd look for a new place to work becuase I'd recognize that my job was only going to last until someone becomes disgruntled and reports the company out of spite (which is how BSA usually gets most small to medium-sized businesses).
Do you suggest I do the same thing?
At my company, we downloaded all of our software for free off of the Internet. The software titles include: OpenBSD, Inkscape, Komodo, and Gimp.
I'm torn because the owner openly and brazenly brags about this.
Send out an email to the entire company asking for licenses, CDs, and product keys for a license reconciliation.
Before or during this time, send out resumes. Do not proceed until you have another job lined up.
Send another email enumerating all of the unlicensed software. This can be sent to management only if you prefer (but be sure to include everyone in the chain of command above you up to the president/officer level). Retain hard copies of any messages and responses---you won't want to advertise that you're retaining copies though.
Your email should include numbers---e.g., we have XXX copies of Microsoft Office XP installed and only YY valid licenses/keys. Conclude with a list of products and the number of licenses of each that must be purchased in order to be legal.
Await shit storm. Remember licenses will always have some hardcopy either in the form of a key code, certificate of authenticity, or printout from the vendor web site. If necessary, send out a followup with amended numbers once they provide documentation of additional licenses.
Eventually, they will either buy all the necessary licenses or tell you not to worry about it. At this point, you resign and take your new job.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
If they bought the licenses, your resume can now include "improved license tracking, software license validation, and asset reconciliation". Congratulations on the new skill set and your new job.
If they did not buy the licenses, you can call the BSA. I believe they have some sort of reward program for whistle blowers. Congratulations on the windfall and your new job.
Oh yeah... Be sure to retouch upon the licensing issue every week or two until you resign as a demonstration of due diligence. This ensures that management is aware of the issue and it is their negligence rather than your own which lead to any license violations.
Either way, you win as long as you play your cards right and plan ahead. Good luck.
---
According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up863eQKGUI
That is a must-watch video.
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
I would have the conversation again, and get an audio recording. Then if you ever get your ass on the line, you can bring up the recording again, and just say BAM! it was him.
most people have already stated the obvious, that you're aware (thus ignorance isn't an option), the company is aware of your knowledge (so you'll be suspected).
Your other option is to FIX the problem one fix at a time.
When a new computer is requested, include the cost of software with the purchase (or say "we'll need to purchase a copy").
This is by far the slowest response, and I'd combine the solution with FOSS options (AVG, etc), but it'll eventually get them up to date.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUCyvw4w_yk
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Begin looking for another job as soon as possible. Document your communications with your manager and attempts to get them to go legit. But leave as soon as possible.
The reason is simple: a company who believes it is okay to do what they're doing is not going to appreciate what YOU do. Your raises will never be good, the respect you garner from upper level management will be negligible, and you will always be treated as a second class citizen that is there only because the world requires it. The companies that do what you're describing are those who view technology as a "necessary evil" and "money sink" rather than the enabler it should be.
My reality check bounced.
Send emails with read receipts and save offline copies of all replies. Make it clear that the business in jeopardy because of pirated software. Explain how one employee can call in a claim and the business could be raided by the BSA backed up by police. Express genuine concern about the importance of this. Explain there are open source alternative that cost nothing. If the owner actually says *in writing* that he still doesn't care about purchasing licenses or switching to FOSS, then tell him you cannot continue working under these conditions. You have to do it. If not, as the IT person, you may become liable. Stress the fact that you are being asked to do something ILLEGAL and cannot continue. If he doesn't connect the dots and lets you leave, immediately go to the BSA with your documentation and do exactly what you said "one employee can do." I'm no friend to software companies, EULA, or the BSA--but its the way it is with our current laws and you have protect yourself. Remember, the whistleblower law will protect you as you long as you go the proper authorities first.
IANAL, but do you know who's good at documenting things as they pertain to the law? In fact, I bet if you went to management with a recommendation from an attorney, they might be more inclined to listen... Likely no need for the BSA at all.
I have worked in a software company for 17 of the last 22 years.
My company, in particular the CEO and senior management, know copyright law pretty well and have our CIO take steps to ensure we only install and use software that A) we have a valid license for (paid for if closed source, proper license if free, etc.) and B) that we only run the allowed numbers of copies based on the license and C) that we always abide by our licenses.
Now, me being the V.P. in charge of our Quality Assurance Division, I found a piece of software "Beyond Compare", and bought a copy. I found that it was extremely useful for a good portion of the work I have to do, namely, review code changes from version to version to ensure all of our coding standards are fully applied, including commenting, format, naming conventions, etc. It was so useful, that I did a short study of how often I used it, how long it took me with other tools I had used for the same thing, figured out time savings, compared costs, etc. and put up a request for purchase for a five copy license for use by our Product Managers (with their input as well). Company bought the five copies.
Now, in your shoes, I can only offer this: You must, to protect your own butt, in writing, inform the company what the license terms for the software are and that there are possible legal issues if they continue to utilize the software in violation of the license, then propose the solution (having done your home work on cost, etc.) of getting the software properly licensed. If management comes back and tells you to mind your own business, or anything of the sort, if it was me, I would find a new job. Because, if the crap hits the fan over the practices of violating license agreements, eventually, the BSA (yes, I hate them too), will come knocking at the door and then management will get a very very rude awakening. It is in the company's best interest to either abide by the licenses for software they are using or to not use such software at all.
Personally, as much as I hate Microsoft (due to their anti-competitive practices and some other key things), I still abide by their licenses, just like I do for any other software I have or use. I have an aversion to jack-booted-thugs coming in and raiding places. :)
Wow. What a great justification of illegal activity. Sorry, but djheru is right. Threatening to report illegal activity unless it is stopped is not blackmail. Threatening to report it unless I get some money is, but blackmail involves the blackmailer benefiting.
You've basically made the argument that no one ever has the right to threaten to go to the police if the criminal activity doesn't stop. That's beyond absurd.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
Not a single highly-rated comment I've read so far has brought up any specific legal ramifications that the employee might be able to use to make it clear to management just how dangerous to the company it is to be in this situation. I've had to make some of the same arguments with my own management people. Fortunately it's a new and small company with plenty of cash, and management is fairly reasonable. Nevertheless even after all the examples of expensive audits and fines I could come up with, they didn't really see much point when nobody else in the industry (that they know of) has ever had a fully legal license of things like Office for every single computer. In the end they basically just grumbled and went along because I was absolutely adamant about not wanting to break the law.
What the original poster needs is links to concrete information specifying just how expensive it will be if anyone ever rats on the company. I myself could only find a few articles about companies that had been audited by the BSA, never anything concrete about how much the fines end up being. One colleague from another company made a vague reference to "$10,000 per infraction" but it was in passing and I have no idea what he meant by that or who would be levying the fine.
When we're dealing with the idiots in management, we don't need vague hand-waving about how software piracy is illegal. We need specific, well-documented examples showing exactly how much financial danger the company will be in if a single disgruntled employee EVER calls up an agency like the BSA. Anyone who has such examples should be taking the time to comment. Sometimes people don't have the luxury of looking for another job.
There are two major components here to consider:
1. You want to stop the piracy.
2. You do not want to be blamed for it.
What you have to do to fix these two problems simultaneously is to present a business case. The BSA will fine your company X dollars when you get found out. Find out what X will be. Remind your boss that whomever reports the business to the BSA will get a percentage of X dollars. "I'm perfectly happy here, but do you have anyone in the entire company that's upset? Has anyone been fired? Does anyone hold a grudge against us? Will anyone ever be upset with us?"
Present solutions, such as "implementing 7-Zip instead of WinZIP will cost $0 materially and deploy in one week. This will save us $Y in labour per year, creating a ROI of ($Y / time it will take you * hourly wage) in one year.
You can come up with other solutions for the other products. You might have to licence the software if they will not move on the products. You can usually get site licences for AVG, Office, etc. My company buys the licence by the boatload. (i.e. everything is a site licence)
This will fix the problems with overlicencing (the most common form of piracy)
Make graphs. Bosses like graphs that tell them when they start making money off a venture. "Switching to this allows for an increase in productivity, giving us an ROI of Z after 6 months." Use Microsoft's data.
It is simply unacceptable to continue in this manner. You are breaking laws, and doing so commercially. It is one thing to download a cracked version of PhotoShop to participate on Fark / Photoshop Phriday on your home computer or download mp3s for your own amusement. It is a completely different situation to install unlicenced software on a work computer that is being used to make money. The latter is commercial copyright fraud, and it is a Federal Crime in the US. (As far as I know; I'm Canadian and not a lawyer.)
You can fix the problem. That's how to do it.
That's the easy part. The second part is in not getting blamed for the piracy after you leave. If you leave unexpectedly, perhaps 10-15 minutes after presenting your case to the boss, then you will assuredly be pointed at as the cause of the problems. "Oh, I'm not too good with computers. Mr. Smith came in and talked to me about how much we could be saving, something about piracy, and then he was installing this one copy of Office on all the computers."
Now, let's say you go into your boss and he says, "Get... out... you're fired." Tell him, "I am trying to keep you and this company out of jail and bankruptcy. What we are doing is against the law."
Resist the temptation to say, "I have copies of all these emails." That's for later.
So you must: Document, document, document! There's a reason that email programs have BCC on them, and THIS IS THE TIME TO USE IT. BCC your personal email account so you have a record of all these emails. If you get fired, let's say two months later, ostensibly "for no reason, but we're moving in a new direction", you can look at the first severance offer carefully. Then reply, "It looks pretty bad that you are firing me just two months after I told you to stop pirating software. I've got copies of every email I sent you, telling you to stop breaking the law. I've brought this up at company meetings in front of lots of disgruntled former staff that owe you no favours. I would get $X from the BSA if I call them on my cell once I leave the building. What's your _real_ severance package?" (The CEO laughed and said, "fuck, all this time I thought you were just a pushover.")
And that is basically how I lost my first job out of University. They're bankrupt now, but that was due to an unsustainable business model, not anything I did.
---
ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
I sent an email to the person who should have been in charge and was greeted in much the same way. We had placed a 'free' evaluation copy of winzip in our corporate image and built it out on literally thousands of machines. after being told to 'shut-up' I covered my a$$ with a dated email and then from the public library dropped the BSA and win-zip/niko-mak BOTH an email detailing the issue. The company settled with both for a LARGE payment and cleaned the desktop image of any 'grey-ware' that was free for NON-COMMERCIAL use. Unless you are in a position to be held responsible I'd recommend just doing NOTHING, safer career wise in the long run...
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
I'd suggest you try to make sure you have written records that you raised this with your bosses (and preferably of the content of their responses too).
You could do this subtly by, say, raising it via e-mail or memo. If you have to talk to them in person, you can still consider writing an acknowledgement e-mail, along the lines of "Dear , Thank you for the discussion about SOFTWARE LICENSING, on the basis of your instructions I intend to take forward the following actions but understand that the existing software is licensed correctly". Print the e-mail out. That way at least they can't deny that the discussion took place, so if the BSA raid your place you can attempt to demonstrate you tried your best on this issue.
... how badly do you need this job?
First, remind the managers that there's a real legal liability issue at stake. This company that you're working for is literally 1 disgruntled employee away from a BSA audit, a lawsuit, and all sorts of court-imposed damages. If your managers still don't realize that they're sitting on a powder keg, then that's their business and you have to decided whether you want to be a part of this.
I'd keep working there and keep steering the company toward free alternatives. Why are you using Winzip, for example, when 7zip is not only free, but so much better? But by staying there and knowing about this, you're complicit it all of this.
You voiced your concerns so you'll be the number one target if they're reported by anyone. So look for another job and then drop them in the shit.
Something very similar happened to me, and they will not change their practices unless given an extremely compelling reason to do so (force). The CTO sat in his office torrenting Visual Studio and whatever else the company didn't feel like purchasing. I don't know how many unlicensed copies of Windows XP were running in the server closet. The promise was always that once we got bigger and could afford it, we'd buy everything.
They cut me loose before that ever happened, and since I can't keep an eye on them anymore (I know, that is extremely self-righteous of me), I handed that responsibility over to the BSA. Call me a disgruntled rat, that's fine, but stealing is stealing. I wasn't brave enough to report them while they still paid me, but without fear of reprisal hanging over my head, I was finally able to make the report. I'm not proud of how it all played out, but it's tough when you're terrified.
If they know you've got issues with the piracy, you've already been marked. A lot of the responses I'm reading here say "find a new job" like it's no big deal... the fact that you're asking what to do in the first place means it's a huge deal because you've got something invested in the company. Leaving is uncomfortable, to say the least. In this mess, the piracy is bad enough, but then there's the personal aspect -- this is your livelihood, and it's being passed over rather easily by a lot of folks who are examining the larger issue. But keep in mind it may not be your decision to make if you wait too long. My employer threw me out on my head on bogus charges. No surprise.
Start now: you need to keep documentation of everything. At the very least, when you part ways, you'll have evidence for the BSA (if they care). At the very worst, you'll have evidence for a wrongful termination case if they fire you (if you're fired for complaining about an employer's illegal activities, that employer can get so totally nailed). Get meticulous about it, and create a "chronology"... on such-and-such date I said this, but was refused. And so on. Also, pretend you're on live TV and that everything you email/IM will be read by people in a court room henceforth. If you end up with a case, life will be that much easier for you.
I know that all sounds like a lot and is rather dramatic, but it really can happen.
Good luck. =(
When I was faced with this problem in my first job out of college, I tried the "carrot" approach, pointing out that we'd get a user's manual with each legitimate WordPerfect or Lotus 123 license we purchased. Obviously that won't work today.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
You need to explain what Open Source is in clear, understandable language. Make your presentation congenial, NOT condescending.
1. Learn what Open Source is yourself if you do not already understand it fully from a legal and copyright point of view.
2. Start your explanation with the Basics: "Open Source, not Open Sores". What is source code? What does having the source available to the public mean if we are just going to install an executable on our PC's, and not do our own development work?
3. Open Source Software *DOES* have a copyright. (People actually argue that with me) There are hundreds of OS licenses, each granting certain rights. Open source software licenses have been tested in court.
4. Why is something that is "Open" harder to break into? Concept of peer review. (I use the term Peer Reviewed Software, not Open Source).
5. Explain the true cost and legal implications of some of the nastier proprietary software licenses and EULA's (Is he really going to show up at 3 am in his pajamas to allow MS/BSA personnel into the offices?) Highlight or draw red circles around certain conditions of the license on or in the actual box.
Standrad IANAL disclaimer applies...
Using the example of WinZip (or any other small dollar software package), just issue a PO (WinZip is $170 for a 10-pack).
If you can officially let a PO, this is a small enough amount to bring your point to the attention of management without too much fuss.
If you do not have the official ability to let a PO, you'll definitely make an impression on management. If they follow your convictions, you'll catch a little heat, but you may help open their eyes. If they come after you, it is a small enough amount so as to not be a felony. You also have whistleblower protections on your side, so if they push the issue, it comes back onto them.
Either way, you need to push forward on this issue. By bringing it to the attention of management, you have effectively painted a target on your back. They could can you for forgetting the paperclip in your pocket as you walk out the door. Bringing the issue up after the fact won't be worth zip. Pushing forward on your convictions now is the only way to keep yourself straight (whether you remain employed by your company or not).
Explain that you are an expert on stealing software and can get anything! Make them hire you as a consultant and your job will be never to tell anyone about these things you know..
For once, replace WinZip with 7-zip (also how old are the computers? Windows XP has free built in zip software... so does 2000/ME I think). We also use:
Skype
ImgBurn
OpenProj
OpenOffice
FileZilla
I started by asking awkward questions like "who do I notify when someone asks for new software to be installed on their computer so we stay compliant?" This of course resulted in all the usual hand-wavy, look-the-other-way non-answers. In an ironic twist, this was at a software development company which used active license tokening technology (think FlexLM-like) to ensure that their product was only used in compliance with the license terms.
So I dropped the company's legal council a line, asking who would be held responsible if the company was discovered to be using software out of compliance with their licenses.
After that, I paid $350 of my own money to ask a lawyer not related to the company the same question.
And based on those two answers, I started looking for another job.
Call the BSA and cut a deal with them to "reward" you for the info and then flip on the company. Use the reward to bridge you to your next job.
I don't think it's nearly that serious. As a software developer, I like it when people pay for software. A small company like this will pay for the software if they become successful and get bought. It's obviously sad that they do not take software licensing seriously but I don't think it's ethical to destroy a business just because it takes a cavalier perspective toward licensing. You can offer proposals for licensing (i.e. present quotes from M$ or Nullsoft, etc.) I wouldn't do it too often, though. M$ and Nullsoft offer licensing schemes to help a company like yours become compliant. Someday they will pay for the software and it seems highly unlikely that anyone will sue or prosecute you. Pretend that they are on the "No-Payments-Until-2014" plan.
So you do everything else... suggest OpenOffice, 7-zip, etc., document the issue, etc., and they still want change. Then what? Simple. Quit, report the bastards to the BSA yourself, and collect a bounty for your trouble. This place is a ticking time bomb that will explode in your face if you stick around. May as well get some money to compensate you for loss of job.
"He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere. " -- John Calvin, commenting on Genesis 1
BS. Licensing is and always will be management's responsibility. By management that means accounting. So, just send a list of the number of copies of software and the number of licenses to accounting and let them deal with it. It's the same as paying taxes, or not misstating revenues on an annual report. If they claim the software as an asset they never paid for, that can also bite them big time. But, it's not IT's job to ensure that the copies are licensed, just that accounting knows. Don't worry, they can't do anything to you. Only the company ownership will pay, no matter what. The worst that can happen is you'll get fired afterwards.
Cool! Amazing Toys.
I agree. Basically, all you can really do is just CYA. Type up a letter or email to your boss which doesn't necessarily state what you think the company should do. Just have it detail your findings. Something to the effect of "I have only been able to find X legitimate licenses for software 'xyzzy', yet we have Y copies installed. Whether or not we actually purchased Y licenses at some point, we would not be able to demonstrate this if we were ever audited. It would cost $Z to bring us into full compliance with software 'xyzzy'".
In doing this, you're not taking a position on the matter. You're merely letting the boss know about a potential problem, so you're stand less of a chance of appearing as an anti-piracy crusader. The boss can either act on your information or not. Either way, you'll have documentation that they know and, if funds aren't made available to bring the company into compliance, then I think you'll be less "on the hook".
Still, your boss probably isn't an idiot. He/she will probably see your letter/e-mail for what it really is: an attempt by you to put them on the hook for this instead of you. (There's a great example of something like this in the Watergate scandal where John Dean was telling Nixon about how the situation was getting very dicey. Nixon then asked Dean to type up a full synopsis of the situation for him in writing. Dean realized that Nixon was going to use that written report to claim that he was unaware of the entire situation until initially receiving the report. THe lesson here is that, any time someone sends a written synopsis of a situation after a history of discussing it informally, there's a good chance that it's being done to have legal evidence that the recipient was aware... in anticipation of the sh*t really hitting the fan). So, I doubt your boss will appreciate your attempt to put them in the crosshairs. So, keep your resume up-to-date.
Seriously. Audit all the systems so you have an accurate count of what software is intalled and whether or not it's legal. Then quit and call the BSA. The company will be summarily shutdown for pirating software and you'll get a nice reward that you can live on until you find a better job.
You might want to warn them what the fine is for pirating software and even give them the opportunity to purchase legal copies slowly (a few at a time), but if they continue to tell you to shut your face, just follow the above advice. Chances are, when someone else gets pissed, they'll call the BSA and then you'll still be out of a job and possibly held partly responsible.
I am a software developer... here's my take.
#1: Use a torrented piece of software is not stealing, it is not piracy, it is copyright infringement. No one has had money taken from them, they've only lost POTENTIAL dollars earned. Keep in mind, cd sales went up during the time of napster not down... not always a bad thing.
When i roll out a shareware product I EXPECT it to be pirated ... I also expect a certain % of people will pay for the product after I update the serial keys with each release. It actually helps my exposure because the smart people recommend the product to the not so savvy people... who in turn pay for it.
#2: Don't pay for 'pirated' software. ever. That IS preventing money from going to developers that have earned it.
#3: Do what your told within reason or quit. If you don't want to do it, politely state your opposition and ask that someone else do it.
#4: Cover your own ass. Don't send emails with serial keys, etc.
#5: Show the BENEFITS of buying legal software. Support from the developers, access to training materials, not having to search for keys each release, etc.
this is the best advice anyone here has posted!!!!
personally if i where a VP of some company and some snot-nosed new hire IT guy came into my office spouting threats
i would stomp a mud hole in his ass and throw him off the property.
The BSA rules for rewards that the person turning in the company was never complicit in the piracy. If he installed any of the pirated software as ordered, he won't get a dime.
I've yet to work for or hear of a company that didn't pirate software on some level, either through simple reuse of licenses, buying student licenses, or even using key-gens and cracked copies. Unless it's your own business, finding another job where there isn't pirated software is a pipe dream.
If anon really wants to cut down on company piracy, push open source. And be willing to do most, if not all, of the re-training.
Too true; the same logic has been used to cast things like the free market, republicans, and the catholic church as beyond reproach.
I wonder if you recognize it but your position here is not that much different from a criminal gang. "Snitches get stiches" and all that.
It's neither cowardly nor immoral to report someone for breaking the law, especially when not doing so could lead them to scapegoat you. Let the BSA deal with them and laugh all the way to the bank. Pirates deserve what's coming to them.
Many of these comments assume that the boss is an unethical jerk. My experience is that most business-minded people are both ethical and reasonably smart.
I suspect that you went to the boss and said "I can't find the licenses", and the boss heard "here comes a lot of cost, for zero benefit, being recommended by the new guy just because he doesn't know where the records are".
Your approach really should be that you, personally, don't want to do anything unethical. Do you think ANY company in their right mind would NOT want an employee with that attitude?
So
a) go on record that you have sought out the licenses and can't find them, and that your boss is sure that they are legally licensed software installations. (Keep in mind that there is NOTHING illegal with installing licensed software and not keeping good records.)
b) Do your best to HELP the boss get the licensing under control. The Software vendors have really made this a nightmare. Your boss may not know. So present your boss with a software inventory (what's installed), and ask him or her to give a best guess as to how many transferable licenses you have for each software product. Then ask HIM/HER to accept responsibility for that number, and stick within those parameters.
c) If there's a huge discrepancy between what he's willing to sign off on, and what is needed for the business, put a plan in place to decommission or license the unlicensed software. This is RISK MITIGATION. You can explain the risks to the boss, and recommend the spreading of the costs over a year or two (explaining that the longer the period, the higher the risk), If your budget can't support purchasing licenses, then look for free alternatives. (Look for free alternatives either way,)
Mostly, you just need to put it in terms of a business proposition. There's a business risk of having poor license-records. You want to get that under control within a fixed period. There should be absolutely NO Issue in getting this under control within 5 years (as most everything will be replaced by then, I would think - just make sure that license records are kept on all new purchases, and nothing new gets installed without license). Your goal should be to make sure that this period of risk is within the company's tolerance level for risk. Can you resolve it within 2 years? 6 months?
Software license records are like other business risks. There's a price for perfection. Like physical security - SOME risk is ok. You should be working to help minimize the risk over time - not on day 1.
Report them to the BSA at https://reporting.bsa.org/usa/home.aspx and make a boatload of reward money. Then start looking for another job as you wait a couple years for your check while they sort it all out.
I am constantly amazed at the relationship the average slashdotter has with management. it looks something like this: slashdotter : always has the right answer / opinion management : to stupid to see / understand / do what I said. obviously this is NOT reality. In my opinion the typical reason for this sort of relationship is poor communication from the technical side. I've worked with HUNDREDS of management teams, and yes there are certainly inept or incompetent ones. But to the original poster, as an IT pro, it is your job to couch technical needs/issues in terms a businessman can appreciate. So please disregard what so many people here are telling you about not being able to get management to do anything here... here is what you need to do: Document ALL available licenses, regardless of how old (as in old unused versions - sometimes will show them what they thought they bought is no longer used). talk to accounting, and have them find ALL purchase records, even if there are NO physical media, licenses, etc. You need to have every scrap of info, so you can then ask "what am I missing? when your boss says they bought it already. Document ALL installed software (ocsinventory-ng is a great tool for this) Suggest options, with costs associated. (as indicated by previous posters, 7zip, and OO.O, are options, or they can pay the licenses OR compare that to what a BSA audit could cost, and how easily it could come) Once you have clarified it all, my guess is that a reasonable decision will be made. It might not happen immediately, but you should be able to spec a project to phase the changes in. I once had a client who was similarly refusing to pay for software, despite my warnings "this could be a problem" and "you aren't licensed for this". I continued to install unlicensed versions, largely due to inexperience, and "the customer is always right" attitude. They got a threatening letter from the BSA, and quickly turned to me and said "we'll you are taking care of this for us, so how could we be out of compliance". I basically converted them to the FOSS shown in this thread, and made them buy the rest. MAde sure all was kosher, and then said see ya. lessons learned. I simply am unwilling to be out of compliance now, for my personal sanity. because once you wave multiple $250k fines in someones face, they will look for a scape goat somewhere... you need to be ahead of the game on this. Had I done my job, and PROPERLY instructed them on the risks of their decisions, it would never have gone down like it did. These folks were douchey, but I believe that had I expressed the needs correctly the situation would never have occurred, because at the end of the day they are businesspeople, and money talks.
1. Submit purchase requests thru your company's proper channels for the needed software/legally required licenses.
2. If that doesn't work, look for a new job.
3. Once you have a new job, call the BSA.
1. Find new job.
2. call BSA.
They'll never learn otherwise. I am normally loathe to suggest involving BSA as they are generally scumbags who go after businesses trying to do the right thing and just want their money. But if this company really is doing what you say they deserve it. Not like they can say they didn't know and you didn't warn them.
...in those cases, top management can be criminally responsible and spend jail time (up to 3 years) for pirated software. Don't laugh, I'm serious. The proverbial hammer doesn't just fall on the person responsible for IT, it falls straight into the manager/ceo/big fish of the company as well.
It was a really nice way to make the people with responsibility open the eyes for the problem, instead of just blaming the small guy.
If I ever need to draw attention to the problem of pirated software, and the "boss" just dismisses me, I can just whisper "3 years in jail for you if we are caught"... That should give full attention ehehehe
"A sysadmin is a cross between a detective, a police officer, a gardener, a doctor and a fireman"
call the bsa and you can get up to 1m for turning them in.
"What does one do when a good portion of the application software at your workplace is pirated? Bringing this up did not endear me at all to the president of the company. I was given a flat "We don't pirate software," and "We must have paid for it at some point." Given that [examples...] What do you when management ignores this?"
Others have already suggested it, but I'll say it again: document the instances. But suggest alternatives. I don't know what you said to the president, or how you said it, but the president is going to want to hear suggestions - not just "complaining" that the company uses pirated software. Remember that your president is focused on the company's bottom line, and if he/she feels that they can scrape by while using pirated software, they will turn a blind eye to piracy. You need to frame this as way to save money, not just spending money. Avoid mentioning the BSA - that will look like a "threat".
You didn't say what your role was at the company. Are you a sysadmin, LAN/desktop admin, or CIO? Your level really identifies the scope of your actions, but doesn't change what you should do.
(Note: if you are none of these things, i.e. your job doesn't involve responsibility for software, the president probably doesn't want to hear this from you. Go talk to one of the admins or the CIO instead of the president, let them take it from there.)
Inventory the software in use on all the systems ... how many installs of Windows, how many copies of MS Office, Acrobat, Photoshop, etc. Put this in a spreadsheet, date it, print it out, stick it in a file.
Next, inventory your licenses. Focus on the software licenses you know you paid for. If you think something is pirated, the best you should do is put "??" or "cannot locate" in the "license code" field. Put all this in the same spreadsheet, so you can match up how many valid licenses you have of MS Office, etc. compared to how many are deployed. Date it, print it, put it in your file.
Sounds like you've already done this, or at least are on the path. So let's focus on the next steps ...
Are there any $0 alternatives to the software that you think is being used without a valid license? Start looking into these options. Others here have suggested some $0 alternatives for you to use. Just be sure to check the license - sometimes, software may be "free for personal or educational use", which means business need to pay for it. Avoid being too dramatic - while I'm a Linux advocate, this is not the time to suggest moving the company from Windows desktops to Linux. Instead, find free Windows programs to replace the shareware/commercial Windows programs. OpenOffice instead of MS Office, 7Zip instead of WinZip, etc. You may need to write up a separate analysis that compares the features of the commercial software with the free software. Make it short, but identify each software completely. (If you use screenshots, no more than 1 screenshot per program.) Use tables rather than lots of text to talk about it. For example: a list of features that your users actually use/want and a check mark to indicate if this feature is present in the (pirated) software you have vs the free software options.
Create a new document, where you can summarize the inventory of software in use, and the inventory of your licenses. Just state the facts plainly, simply. Don't put in any personal statements, let the numbers speak for themselves. Make sure to call out where the company is using software where you don't have enough licenses. Include an estimated cost to "true up" on the licenses. Identify in your document the $0 alternatives you have discovered. The important step will be to highlight these as savings to the company. Identifying as "savings" will make it more actionable. Ideally, you'll put these in a column next to the "true up" cost, so it's obvious.
Again, date it, print it, put it in your file. Also, share this document with the CIO
As someone who has been there and done that, my advice is to start activly looking for a new job today. It's one thing if management doesn't know what's going on but it's different if they know and don't care. In my case, I mentioned in several meetings that I needed to get legal and when my next review came around they needed someone with a different skill set. My two reviews before that were above average. The point is that if they are to cheap to get legal they are also to cheap to give you raises and support you and your job in other ways. Other places where I have worked that had no pirated software policies in place also had HR policies in place for cost of living and merit raises that were fair to the employee. Just get out of that place as fast as you can and you will be glad you did.
Yeah sit back and do what you are told till they either fire you, cut your position, force you to leave or deny you a pay raise. Then when the time is right report them with strong evidence to https://reporting.bsa.org.
Cheers!
Oh and make sure you have another job lined up before you do that. Burning bridges makes it harder to get another job.
I agree....Most CEO's play stupid until the stuff hits the fan and then blames the IT Dept. Because they're the ones in charge of keeping track of it and making sure the companies legal. Your in a catch 22...the CEO won't let you correct the issue because of the cost and you get it in the neck if you don't. My advise......Find a new job and leave before you get hashed...cheers!
When Can an Employee Disobey? Adjudicators support management's rights to direct employees, but have concluded that some situations permit the employee to refuse to obey. They can refuse IF: #1 the order would have placed the employee in danger and contravenes the Labour Code #2 the order was to commit an illegal act - such as being told not to enforce the Act for a particular company #3 the order was not job related - such as running personal errands for the supervisor ************** See #2.
All of you that are telling him to do it and just ignore it are idiots. If you knowingly install pirated software not only is the company liable for fines, but the installer is responsible for fines of 15k per offense personally. I work at a large corporation and my job is software compliance. At this point they either get compliant or you have to report them. Not reporting a crime can land you as much hot water as doing the actual crime.
Find new job, report old employer, get reward https://reporting.bsa.org/usa/rewardsconditions.aspx .
If I build a house, I get paid by the people who use it.
You get paid once, not every time they walk in the door.
If I put the same effort into, say, a film script, that might take anywhere from 6 weeks to a year to write, why should people get it for free?
On the other hand, why should you still be earning money from a film script after you're dead? It's possible to make the revenue structure for a film script (or any other published work) match that for building a house: see assurance contracts and The Contingency Market. You put a bounty on your work, and once you attract enough pledges, you get paid for licensing the work Freely.
There are several free (or one-time use) software audit tools available. Download them from below and run them. Then give the output reports to your CIO and/or CFO. Keep copies for yourself, and document that you did the audits.
This is not a matter to shrug off. I used to work at a company that got fined $40,000 for not being able to document our licenses. I actually believe we were in compliance, but we couldn't prove it.
http://www.bsa.org/country/Tools%20and%20Resources/Free%20Software%20Audit%20Tools.aspx
http://www.bsa.org/country/Tools%20and%20Resources/For%20Employers.aspx
The retraining needed for moving to the current version of OpenOffice is no greater than moving to a new version MS Office from an older one except for the transition away from Access.
And guess what database program a lot of small businesses use as a platform on which to build their operations. For example, the popular Stone Edge Order Manager is a VBA app that runs on Microsoft Access, using either a Jet back-end or an SQL Server Express back-end.
Write a formal letter to the head of the department and ask that he signs it. In short: CYA
Instead of the other one...
Your first error was taking this job without making it clear you do not pirate software and will not install and support pirated software on company systems. I'm a consultant who makes this very clear when I come in to a new customer, and although I've lost a few potential customers, my serious customers have understood and respected this.
The first thing I do is explain that I will not report them to the BSA-mafia or anyone else. I will simply not install pirated software or support it if the fact that it's not legal will cause problems (for example, if I need to install updates or reinstall an application to solve an issue). Next, I explain to them the issues of what software piracy will do to their computer environment: how many cracks and other such workarounds tend to be unstable, or often trojaned, that they prevent updates and upgrades from working, and that I cannot have access to official support for such software. Finally I will suggest a progressive plan to buy legal licenses, to work with their budget to correct their situation progressively. I will often suggest alternative software (either cheaper versions or FOSS software), explaining the drawbacks and advantages of each solution. Working with schools specifically, I make sure they are aware of the educational pricing they can get on a lot of commercial software, and will point them to organizations that resell used computers to such institutions.
If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
Precisely, take the advice of a hardened office worker, in the corporate world if you want to stay out of trouble CYA, leave a paper trail, get signatures, send memos, print stuff and take a copy home, sounds illegal, probably is, but when you get into trouble and stuff suddenly disappears, you have a backup in your desk at home, saved me about half a year's pay that, because someone older advised me about a lot of that crap. Looking back, I should have left when I had the chance, but the pay is good, now, because of this crisis I have no other alternative. And remember one think when you confront your boss, you work for that weekly/monthly wage not out of some misplaced loyalty, when something threatens that pay-check, it's time to leave.
So would you rather they have legit software OR you have a job ? Since the cost of the software is probably > than you.
I'd contact an employment attorney first and figure out what my options were when the boss fired me after I ratted him out to the BSA, and depending on the attorney or practice, have them document what your potential legal exposure may be if you turn the business in.
It may be possible to have the attorney contact the BSA anonymously on your behalf; your work with the attorney is protected as privileged communication so they may not be able to find out who turned them in, even if the BSA wanted to tell them.
At least this way you'd know what you'd be up against and would have everything lined up in case the employer tried to retaliate. In some cases you may be able to set them up so that you *want* them to retaliate so you can respond with a civil action.
Yes, take example of a company that sows clothes,
20 employees
3 who use a computer
Business is struggling
But OH NO of the 3 computers, 2 use Excel, but they only have a license for 1 Excel copy.
One uses Excel more then once per week.
SUE THE BASTARDS!!!!
Exception Duck - may or may not contain chicken.
I've been in a similar situation, although less clear cut. (A lost site license, but in this case it probably was a lost site license, and I didn't get stonewalled by the boss.)
I've asked myself this question a few times. Don't do anything you know to be illegal. Ever. That said, if you're not sure, and the boss says go, get it written down (email's OK) and do. If they don't start heading towards legit licensing then work towards getting the hell out.
But if asked to do something clearly illegal (as in the OP), tell them you won't do it. Tell the boss, no, that's illegal. Make it clear that you consider the request protected by confidentiality (ie, make sure you aren't threatening), but make it clear you won't be assisting in the commission of a crime.
Draw the line in the sand, and make it clear where you stand. Don't quit over it. If they have no legit work to do, then let them sack you. But there's too many legal nightmares in disclosing info about a workplace's policies or directions.
end my 2 cents
They are a lot worse than that. Enterprises, whose explicit goals are maintaining and raising the prices of their members' services, what are they, but the cartels? Why is it, that most of the society wants pizzerias and plumbers to compete, but sympathize with workers, who want to stop competing? Why aren't they subject to the anti-trust laws?.. Why is it, that when their violent members break the law, they aren't treated under Federal anti-racketeering legislation?
They are objectively bad for economy and the country too... But most of all, they are illegal under the already-existing legislation — at least, under the spirit of it:
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
I QUIT! I quit on my one year anniversary. I wrangled myself into a 4 hrs per day contract for 4 months as a trainer. They paid me out at 3 months. Best move ever.
Although to be honest the software piracy was a minor factor in the decision to quit... they were daily screwing over their own workers. I was instructed to alter timesheets and cut valid worked time on a regular basis from half an hour to almost two hours. I'd argue but I would do it. And then I'd fix it after. Never got caught. At one branch there were 900 'grunt' user accounts on the SCO (got I hate admining SCO) server over a 4 year period for a daily average of 20 'grunt' workers on the floor. And since these accounts would be reused, that turns out to be more than 1 person let go per day. Upward mobility in the company was determined by a willingness to adopt certain principles. I'm amazed I was promoted as far as I was.
My only FOSS success (out of many attempts) at that company was PuTTY over a very expired piece of shareware. Subtle changes in appearances (a yellow telephone icon) got me yelled at from a manager who spends most of her day hiding in her office writing erotica....
If I build a house, I get paid by the people who use it.
No, no, no. That's a very misleading way to think about it.
If you build a house, you get paid by the people who asked you to build it (who may or may not be the same people who end up living there). They hire you to perform a service, and once that service is done, you no longer have any connection to that house.
If I put the same effort into, say, a film script, that might take anywhere from 6 weeks to a year to write, why should people get it for free?
They shouldn't. Just like with the house, you should demand payment from the people who asked you to write it.
But no one asked you to write it, you say? You just decided to do it on your own? Well then, I guess you'll need to think of a different business model.
If you build a house of your own accord, you can make money by selling that house -- in that case, you're not really being paid for your labor, you're selling an object. Likewise, if you write a film script of your own accord, you can make money by selling that script (that is, a stack of papers, or a CD-ROM containing a file). But that means you can't go around showing it to everyone before you've been paid, because they'll have no need to buy a copy from you if they already have enough information to make their own copy.
Interesting how the kiddies who've never had to work for a living thing they should get everything for free and don't have the backbone to produce anything worthwhile in exchange. They're the real users or AOLusers -- use and use and too impotent to produce on their own.
For the record, I've been a professional developer for ten years (as well as a freeware and OSS developer). I like to think I've produced plenty that's worthwhile: during PAX 2009 I was pleased to see a girl in dragon wings stand up at a panel Q&A and mention a freeware project I've worked on; the software I've been writing for my day job is the first in its niche and has attracted the interest of some major domestic and international players.
But I suspect you'd still classify me as one of those "kiddies" because I believe copyright should be abolished. I've managed to earn a living as a programmer without relying on the ability to limit copying, and if I can do it, I'm pretty sure you can too.
Visual IRC: Fast. Powerful. Free.
If the Boss is such a sociopath, he will choose option C: Go to the BSA first, leaving you holding the bag.
I ran into pretty much that same situation a few years ago. I had a long conversation with a friend of mine (retired CEO of a large multinational). He recommended that I bring the issue to the attention of the company president and, if things were not made legal, quit immediately. I followed his advice. It sucked to be me. OTOH, I was legally clear and slept well at night.
If you continue working there, knowing that piracy is occurring, you stand in the cross-hairs if one of the software vendors gets uppity. Even worse, you might wind up being your employer's scape goat.
Get out of Dodge.
linquendum tondere
1) A house is a physical products, software isn't. They are different things, stop equating them! 2)We do not live in a communist society, the amount of work you do doesn't have anything to do with the amount of money you make. A good innovative idea can be worth much more than 5 years work in a factory, maybe not fair but that is how it works. 3)Let's suppose for the sake of argument that the amount of work does matter. How fucking dare you compare building a house to making software! Did you ever build a house? Well I have and I you didn't because otherwise you wouldn't be saying this. Why don't you get out of your comfortable chair behind your computer and step out of your white-collar bubble for a day and see what real work consists of because you've obviously never done any yourself.
Technically it's blackmail.
The difference is that it may be 'the right thing' to do, as the police is supposed to be the good guys.
But though it's OK to do it, it's still blackmail.
Make him read articles which show how much inadvertant copyright infringement has cost companies, and mention that he's doing it willfully so the BSA members would show absolutely no mercy in his case.
Are you an engineer? If so you had to have taken ethics at some point. The answer is obvious: refuse to contribute to their felonious actions.
Need office, but don't want to pay for it? Show him OpenOffice.org and KOffice. If you want "free" software, choose free software. Don't "steal"[sic] encumbered software.
A CD-R is not proof of purchase -- obviously. Hell, during BSA raids they don't even consider a CoA to be proof of purchase.
osalt.
Need Winzip? Check out 7zip.
Yeah, or the owner of the business needs to pay a fine or go to jail.
. . . which is more costly than paying for the software.
You document it, inform your manager they have no choice but to correct the issue, and blow the whistle to the BSA and to the copyright holders. When they fire you in retaliation, bring all the documentation to a good attorney and collect a minimum of several years' salary. Not paying a few thousand for software will cost your boss hundreds of thousands in statutory fines PLUS several years of your salary when he retailiates by firing you.
Copyright holders get their due. You get paid time off, and the unethical businessman is put out on the street and his business will probably be siezed and/or closed down. Everybody wins!
Why "steal"[sic] software when there are free alternatives that do the job perfectly well?
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
Perhaps your boss could be swayed by white lie?
"Microsoft is going to quietly roll out an automatic update on all operating systems that will check for illegal software, and deem it unusable after 90 days of continued use."
I don't go as far as saying that at my job, but i just simply go with the frank "well I have a CD for it and _can_ install it, but without a legit key, the software just won't work."
It may not be his job to protect financial interests of would-be vendors, but it is his ethical obligation to ensure that his employer is not violating the law, and it is in his own personal best interest to refuse to install "pirated"[sic] software, since he would be sharing in the liability if/when BSA members find out.
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
If this truly bothers you, then start looking for a new job.
I have been in this situation, and here is how I handled it:
I used free alternatives where possible, and explained the security risk and other issues associated with pirated sofware, then I explained that pirated software isn't really free when you consider the security risks and and support issues it creates. It costs more than a lot of people realize; but I am also a realist and not anal about that kind of stuff - so I am not going to sweat it if I can't see licensing details for a copy of acrobat - then again though, I work for a small company, and they're great about paying for things that are supposed to be paid for.
Between developer programs and other special deals (like academic versions, etc) you can always usually find a way to get legit software at an affordable price.
Personally I think that ratting them out to the BSA is fucked unless they screw you over or expect you to obtain pirated software or something like that. Sometimes people just don't realize the deal when it comes to software licensing, and educating them is better than ratting them out.
Especially because it's always possible that the president of the company is correct that some of it was paid for at some point. I guess my attitude is that unless you KNOW it was pirated, and see telltale signs of that, as long as you feel your workplace is treating you fairly and doesn't balk at paying for appropriate software going forward, I wouldn't wory about it.
I fail to understand why anyone still uses WinZip. Recent Windows releases' Explorer understands the zip file format, and even if you think that's insufficient you have e.g. 7zip which supports multiple formats and is completely open source.
And go back to before you opened your trap where you should have kept it closed.
First, assuming you're not responsible for license management, you should have ignored it. It's simply not your responsibility any more than it is for you to go inspect registrations in the motor pool.
However this particular cat is out of the bag. I'd suggest finding a different job or hoping that the company replaces the president (whichever you think would be faster) since your chances for advancement are now zero.
The most valuable lesson you can learn in or out of work is "when to keep your mouth shut." Some things require immediate action (like if you found out that your company was sweetening their products with antifreeze) and other things require "not noticing" (like software licensing) if you plan on keeping your job. Licence management is the company's problem, they can either purchase the correct licenses and not worry or use stolen software and run the risk of being caught. In either case, it's not your responsibility unless you've specifically been tasked with license management. There is no "up side" to doing anything about it, since telling your boss or his superiors will make them angry or nervous, and telling the vendor will get you fired when they figure out who squealed.
Now if they want you to obtain or install stolen software, that's a horse of a different color, but even then, I wouldn't walk in and accuse anybody of theft, I'd just say "Sorry, it's not worth the risk." One of the things you can't ever get back is virginity. Once you install the stolen software, you're in it with the rest of them.
What's at issue here? There are legal, personal, and ethical reasons for doing a number of things here, and as IT personnel, it's your job to plot a path through this mess. You know there are wrongs, and those should stop. You know what would be right, and it's your job to ensure that happens (and sooner, rather than later).
So what do you do? Well, first off, keep everything on record, via e-mail BCC'd to one (or twenty, if you're paranoid) personal e-mail accounts you set up specifically for the purpose of documenting this.
First, you need to inventory what's going on. How many machines do you have, what software are they running? How many licenses do you have? Make a database of all of your licenses.
Secondly, it's your obligation via your position (as well as ethically) to let your employer know what's going on. It needs to be completely transparent to them what the current situation is, and how illegally the company is currently operating. If your boss is an unethical jerk; it's your job to tell HIS boss (if it's that large of a company) what's going on. Tell everyone who might get their ass kicked by the BSA what's going on. Yeah, they probably should know. But it's your job to make damn sure they do.
Third, propose options for fixing what's wrong. It'd be a lot easier on you to report them to the BSA, collect a fat check (maybe?), and go to Tahiti. It'd take some real gusto to actually break out a bucket o' elbow grease and fix this stuff. Find out what software you have and do an analysis if you really need it all. You mention Office, Acrobat, WinZip, and AVG, most of which have previously mentioned FOSS replacements. No, they won't be as *good*, but they will be legal, and in most cases they will do all that you need them to do. They will also be less likely to contain malware / keyloggers / other crap that I'm sure your employers would rather forego dealing with. You might even be able to find some commercial, non main-brand replacements for some apps (I recall some companies making PDF creators / editors that don't cost an arm and a leg, and will probably get the job done).
What were you hired for? Your company counts on you to:
1) make sure everything works so that business can continue
2) make sure everything is legal & licensed
3) minimize the cost of running the IT department while maximizing value
It's that last step that can lead people to consider employing unethical practices. We all want to save a couple of bucks. If you want to do your job and be able to look yourself in the mirror, you need to do everything you can to enact a swift transition to new practices. By all means, cover your ass by documenting your efforts and if need be quit your job & report the company, but try to do your job as much as you can before you resort to that drastic measure.
In my opinion, you'll be a hero if you can suggest some sort of a compromise that won't kill your company, but still make them legal. No, you can't go and uninstall every illegal piece of software right away, because the company will go under from a loss of productivity. But do try everything you can to fix the situation, write up a nice and pretty report that you can cc to all company management that gives them a good idea of what's going on (make sure to give them a summary that explicitly states the urgency of the situation), and for jc's sake put all the work you do on your resume.
In the end, you're doing this job for yourself. Don't accept the morals of the lowest common denominator, try to raise the lowest common denominator. Do some real good and bring another company up to compliance. People like you who want to do what's right are rare, and people who are willing to work 16 hour days for a week to get this done ASAP are even rarer. Work your butt off for a little while to bring more than just problems to your management, help them by bringing them solutions too.
What'll make you feel better? Sinking your company and dozens of jobs because of ignorant management, or convincing that management that you're doing everything you can to save them money and act legally, potentially saving the company and all those jobs from disappearing with one BSA report?
I'm not negating doing the right thing and getting in compliance.
I'm stating a simple fact. A commercial software provider would *much* rather you not pay for their software and use it. Why? Because they know if you get used to it, chances are very high you will become a paying customer.
Why exactly do you think it's the case that breaking most anti-copying schemes is a PITA, but not impossible? As examples, Microsoft and Adobe could *both* go to hardware dongles and not be *immediately* harmed. What would happen is other software vendors would then become the cracked standard in Office/Graphics whatever and from then on out, Adobe and Microsoft's software market share would decline. Too much BSA enforcement would do the same thing.
So, most of you, like the author of the question, are in fear of a situation that is very unlikely to occur. Do your CYA and plan an orderly exit if you don't care for these kinds of ethics. But don't live in perpetual fear of the compliance boogeyman BSA.
http://www.maxineudall.com/2010/02/should-economists-be-sued-for-malpractice.html
If they're pirating Microsoft software, then you should gleefully comply. Because Microsoft is the devil and they deserve to get ripped off.
If they're pirating shareware software then you should report your bosses. Because your bosses are the devil and the shareware authors deserve to be paid.
Thus sayeth the wisdom of /.
PEBKAC means "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair". Like quite a few thousand other people, I've used OO for years without difficulty.
Tech Public Policy stuff
I don't particularly want to read through hundreds of comments on this subject, but there is another possibility in this case.
It's possible the boss isn't lying. As I understand it, the way many office applications are pirated in the first place is that they are sometimes from companies using blanket business licenses. This allows the same key to be used over and over in the wild without being as suspicious as a single user license being used repeatedly.
So it could be that someone in the organization in question was the culprit for the Google-able CD key and possibly even the copy of the software itself. Granted this is a scenario with a rather low probability as the easier explanation is more often than not correct. However, seeing as how many of the responses included accusations towards management/threats of going to the authorities/etc, I thought it might be prudent to point out this possibility to the query.
At any rate, it sounds like quite the dilemma.
Why is it all the advice is 'find a new job' or 'suck it up, and do what your told' and 'Your boss is the devil'.
When I started at my current situation, pirated software was rampant. It was really a situation that should not have happened but it was a person trying to save the company money. The cost to instantly convert the entire company over to licensed software would have severly cripled the company.
Together with the finance department we developed a strategy that allowed for licensed software for every new station and if new person started at a station we would buy a new license. On top of that we developed stategies to eliminate or reduce the software necessary, such as using a custom web application instead of an Access based system. IT department also stepped up the station turn over as alot of the existing stations were more than 2 years old.
In a short time we had removed the unlicensed software, and now have a better handle on who needs which software.
It is all about communication. Develop a strategy, and find ways for the company to remove the unlicensed software so neither you nor your company are in jeopardy of being in the unemployment line.
- my $.02? - you can't have it...it's all I have!!
quit being such a whining cry-baby?
If you're so gung-ho over statue enforcement, start with yourself. Turn yourself in every time you exceed the speed limit. Let's see how far that goes.
If your employer truly does not have money for MS Office and the like, it is up to you to present the free and inexpensive legal alternatives to 99% of what most users need. (For the rest of the stuff, either pay or accept the risk of shut down.)
If the ethics of your employer are that it is OK to screw your software vendors, there is every probability that they will eventually take other actions not in the interests of their employees, their customers, or their own long-term financial security.
You think Bernie Madoff STARTED big time? No, he got away with little stuff and eventually became the monster that ruined so many lives.
I've become a moralizing old fart and I feel just fine about it.
Live Long and Prosper - Thanks Leonard. You are missed.
Find a new job and send a notice to the BSA.
I feel that the best option is to document the use of pirated software, arrange a meeting with the stake holders and discuss options. If they reply "we are going to use it anyway" refuse to install it on any new machines. This is not reusing to do your job, this is refusing to break the law for your boss. I doubt any judge in the country will fall on the employers side in an employment dispute if it comes to that.
Write something - whatever is typical in your workplace - to your direct supervisor about this issue.
Explain the possible financial (and criminal, if any, I have no idea) repercussions.
Ask permission to gather software utilization statistics and determine a cost to put things right. Don't run off and take inventory of installed software, and don't work up a price at this point.
Save a copy for yourself.
And get on with doing what you're told.
If you don't like what you're being told to do, find another job.
The preferred solution is to not have a problem.
Call in the authorities and leave the company.
Email is legally considered admissible in court as evidence. Get your boss telling you to install the software, express your concerns. Get it in email, export the PST with all the tracking. Cover yourself, then start looking for another job.
Peazip replaces winzip, and Microsoft now has a free av (security essentials) that works better than trend micro for me, I still need trend micro for my servers. As for office we stuck with office 2003 that we have enough licenses for. They really like outlook at my work and as much as people say how well other email apps work there are plugins we use for outlook like salesbuilder and outlook connects correctly to exchange (as long as you have a vpn or are inside our network). and I still have failed to find a good exchange replacement for contacts, calendar, and using ad to allow access to calendars. This would be really nice if we had a drop in outlook and exchange that uses the exchange protocal so I could get away from it without anyone noticing. I'd like to replace outlook first so i could replace office with something like open office which we use for lab computers. Evolution in my experiances is even buggier than outlook. It crashed and would be too unresponsive for too long and it would mess up all the time. Both in windows and in my os of choice linux. Maybe I'll come back to it in a few years and try it again with the exchange plugin. But the calendar and contacts are important and not to be glossed over with simple replacements. It needs to work with exchange for now.
So let me see if I get the general drift of most of your comments right: Without societies, censors or authority over us, we're all immoral and unethical? What happened to individual choice? All you guys out there (used in a non-sexist way) are telling me that stealing is okay, provided you, taking the best suggestion I read before I stopped in horror, that you document your going along with it to simply CYA? If I found myself in this position, I would take part of that same suggestion to document the whole problem. I'd make a list of all the software which should be bought to make the company legal. Present it to the boss. And if he doesn't instantly implement a plan to acquire it, look for another job if you need the paycheck - else resign immediately. Morals, ethics and honesty - you have them or you don't and there's almost no ambiguity about it (you may be forgiven for stealing a slice of bread to feed your hungry child). This philosophy still seems to me to be the best going: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
This really depends on what your relationship with your boss is. If they're the kind of person who you can have a short informal chat with then this is the way to go:
You simply have to gently and informally approach them and point out that the issue you raised might be serious. Explain that you don't want to start going around accusing people or getting the company a bad rep internally, but you are worried in case you get audited. Explain that everyone involved could be held accountable. Explain that you're worried because you could lose your credentials and of course the company could get hit for a lot of cash and heads could roll (but of course primary concern is that you can be personally injured in this - it shows your honest about your own motivations cause the managerial mindset is to not expect altruism). Basically just put across the point that you're watching your back and the bosses.
Again this is about knowing what the boss is like, and this may be entirely useless to you. But the way I see it, if you can get the issue resolved without any major hassle, or threatening, then you're going to get a reputation as a problem fixer and that's never a bad thing.
Joining the Pirate Party and fighting for the human rights to share knowledge would be a good idea.
Corporations hypocrisy proves that the laws of mathematics and physics can not be violated.
consult EFF and Doctorov or Lessig, they will understand.
France is known for its three-strike offending policy.
GROUPAMA, a large French insurer, was caught in a software PIRACY case of $200m.
In its affidavit, GROUPAMA argued that BANK SECRECY entitled it to limit the scope of Police investigations to a building that was not the place where evidences about the infraction were officially collected.
GROUPAMA managed to have the General Prosecutor of Paris to state that Police was 'right' to ignore the criminal file:
http://remoteanything.com/archives/groupama.pdf
Can you spell 'double standards' in French?
A poorly aimed cumshot at the end of a hand job can get a virgin preggers...
So, software piracy requires moral indignation, blackmailing the offender, calling the authorities, and suggesting free alternatives. While music and movie piracy is a god-given right because copyright is a broken system. Have I gotten the general gist of things here correctly?
That's rich. First you disregard the correct terms the law has set for copyright infringement and theft of property, then you admonish people for not obeying that same law. All without the use of proper punctuation!
I've been down this road. I took a middle of the road approach and kept reminding my direct manager about the issue. The development manager had been through a BSA audit at another company and convinced upper management they had a problem, so we made some changes. In the end it didn't matter, the CEO legally took the bulk of the money and we went bankrupt. My advise, find another job.
How about you simply do the sociopath thing for yourself ? Report them, collect the reward. If you want to be able to honestly say you didn't do it, have your wife report them and collect the reward.
You should not allow criminals to dictate the rules, which will obviously immunize them from responsibility for anything. You'll get fired, frustrated, and nothing will be solved. Instead, you should use the rules they set for themselves : report them (which makes you feel better), and don't tell them (which they don't do either). You should not feel guilty about this.
Oh and, needless to say, once you reported them, you've done your duty. Keep your mouth shut after that. Don't report them from inside the office either. Plan ahead to mention the unfairness of stealing software 2 more times (but plan the dates you do this well in advance, and don't deviate from them, no matter what).
These days I always ask a democrat to pay a medical bill whenever I get one. None of them ever did it, no matter how much "moral urgency" and "fairness" they thought such acts were graced with. And no, they didn't think that not paying my bill justified anyone calling them rich, selfish stealing capitalists. When I took one democrat's wallet, and took out the money, just like he wants the government to do, he got aggressive. They did not, in fact, thought that not doing so even made them selfish. You should use people's own rulebook against them. Some actually got it.
Find the fall guy, the one person that would go to jail if they get sued. Talk to him/her, say something like "I'm really worried about you, I mean, if something happens, the company will be closed, I'll lose my job, but you... you'll go to JAIL!". You may see his/her face changing,
becoming more and more worried.
Make sure he/she hears recent stories of people in the same position as his/her going to jail for similar reasons (tv, radio, internet news, whatever).
Do not send these stories yourself or you will be seen as the cause of the problem. You have to let other worry about this, so somebody else brings the story to higher levels, takes the risk and also has a real reason to request a change (he/she can go to jail for not doing so).
Later, you can say "I agree. When he/she first mentioned this in , I went on and changed my programs to avoid using illegal software. All the programs I use now on a daily basis are legal and free. If you want, I can show them to you, and we may see what's missing so we can substitute as many as possible."
In 1997, the company I worked for was using copies of software illegally. I pointed this out to my manager and presented a plan to implement a policy of "budget for it or lose it" across the company. He told me no, that a business decision had been made to use the software in spite of it being illegally.
I told him that as systems administrator, I was genuinely concerned that if we got audited, I would be on the hook for the violations that were taking place, and that I wanted an e-mail or written letter stating the business decision to continue using unlicensed software. I explained that we were one disgruntled employee away from losing everything, and that our churn rate was very high.
To be honest, my boss was a twit, and I honestly thought that once his boss and upper-level management found out what was going on, that he was putting the company at risk, I would be complimented for a job well done, and he might even be replaced. Of course, that was when I was a bit more naive than I am today, and after following up our meeting with an e-mail about the company's non-compliance and my plan to get everyone legal, I was terminated. In my termination letter, it never mentioned the software explicitly, but it did mention something about a "disregard for business policies." (They were actually really grasping. My termination letter also said that I had taken "unauthorized vacation" when I missed a day of work after an automobile accident to deal with injuries, insurance, and acquiring another means of transportation.)
In a job interview a year ago, I was asked if I had ever been fired from a job. I honestly answered that yes, I have. I could tell that the interviewer got a little uncomfortable, and I explained the story. I told him that during the whole ordeal, my focus was on looking out for the best interests of the company even above my own short-term interests. I told him that even though they screwed me over and I probably had them dead-to-rights on flagrant licensing violations if I had turned them in, I chose professionalism over revenge and didn't do it. I told him that if I'm hired, I'll look out for his company's interests the same way. I might not always tell him what he wants to hear, but I'll always tell him the truth.
I guess it was convincing enough because I was hired and I'm still working for that company today. Needless to say, life is much better for me these days, and I've prospered over the years much more than the company that fired me.
To the submitter, stand firm. DO NOT do anything illegal, or you'll be just as culpable as they will. I know it sounds trite and in this moment and in this economy, it seems like the end of the world to think about getting fired, but in five or ten years from now, if you stand up to your boss today on something that is so clearly immoral that he is asking you to do, I guarantee that you will be better off. Trust me, "Future You" will thank you for it.
I didn't have a chance to read all 800 something posts on here, but if you have installed any of the software yourself, and the poster has, you CAN'T report them to the BSA, you're not eligible for a reward, and you are in a very bad position. Not to say that he will be the one to take the hit, if he takes everyones recomendations to document his efforts to get the organization compliant i'm sure that will go a long way to vindicating him, but he can lose any and all thoughts of claiming a reward, since he's not eligible for it. Best he could do is have someone else call it in, cover his butt, and split the money. Which is what I would personally do if the president of the company snubbed me like that.
I have had three jobs and am now a multi-millionaire thanks to the BSA. You can find the reporting forms at https://reporting.bsa.org/.
your position here is not that much different from a criminal gang
Correct, protection rackets, conspiracy, and murder are quite similar to pirating a few copies of MS Office. How did I miss that?
Leaving is pretty much the only non-cowardly approach to that, if management won't listen to you. Man up, sir. Such petty games are for weaklings.
Given that I was only able to find one burnt copy of Office Pro with a Google-able CD-Key, and that version of Office is on at least 20 computers, I'm not convinced.
To be fair, the copies of Windows XP that my university had for sale to students all used the same CD key, and googling for it reveals hundreds of sites with the same key listed. I believe such a thing is said to be "site licensed".
"I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
Not necessarily.
If it's within your purview, you can always try ordering licenses for the software in question, or submitting the purchase request through proper channels. When asked why, explain that you cannot find any licensing information, and you're looking to protect the company's interests.
That said, it's not your job to make policy, nor is it your responsibility to protect the financial interests of the publishers of the software in question.
So, keep a record of all of your meetings and document all conversations you had with any superiors regarding the situation. Obviously you don't want to include any especially damning details one way or the other -- your goal here is not retribution, it's job and career security. If you said nothing to management about a problem you knew about, then you're at fault. At the same time, you don't want to take the fall if/when someone reports your company. Keeping records will help to defend against either scenario, and improve your job prospects should you be "let go." It's evidence that you were trying to be a team player. CYA -- Cover Your Ass -- but don't rock the boat unless you're prepared for the consequences when everyone ends up in the water (including yourself).
this is the most reasonable response in this repugnantly sactimonious thread.
srsly, who died and made you the morality police?
there are TONS of things in society that are illegal. I DON'T CARE. and YOU DON'T CARE. srsly, do you REALLY CARE? it's not like they're killing children or puppies on coffee breaks. do you REALLY CARE?
when your girlfriend goes over the speed limit, do you call 911 to get her ass pulled over or start recording the speedometer with your celphone camera for proof later?
when your friend gave you a mixed tape in grade school, did you submit it as evidence to the riaa?
when your friend is smoking pot in countries other than amsterdam, do you call the narcs on his butt?
if you find out that your friend is playing a cracked game, do you call the fbi?
some might dodge by saying that as an employee, you are being complicit in the actions of your company but as a friend with knowledge, you are no less complicit in the crimes your friends and neighbors commit.
unless they pass some kind of law that PROFESSIONALLY REQUIRES an IT employee to report illegal activities (as lawyers and doctors are bound to do), you are as much obligated to report your company as you are to report those around you in your daily life.
that being the case, the advice stikypad gives seems to be the right one. look out for yourself certainly, keep getting paid, be just as inclined to turn in your boss as you would be to turn in your mom.
and again, for those who would seek to dodge - we're not talking about murdering kids or puppies. there ARE INDEED things that people really do and should care about. a company that is dumping toxic chemical into a school water supply, secretly conspiring to bilk their customers of their life savings, killing children and puppies. etc.
but it's NOT ALL THE SAME THING. some things you really do care about. other things, you have to convince yourself that you - for some reason - care about it. so again - do you REALLY CARE?
finally - it seems that in a society where so much is indeed technically illegal, even things that to the judgment of most reasonable people shouldn't be, shouldn't we take to heart the old chestnut - let he who is without sin cast the first stone?
NO bootleg albums in your posession? no mix tapes acquired from another? no duplicated VHS tapes from way back? no MAME roms for which you do not own the cabinet game?
hmmm?
AC
WinZip - 7Zip, GPL. ... basically look for GPL applications or programs that explicitly allow "commercial use".
Antivirus is tricky, but it's possible to lock down Windows with gpedit.msc, or some regs in case it's a Home version.
OpenOffice.. yeah i know. -10^2 is still +20, aka MSMath patent pending not to be confused with mathematics, it still auto(dis)corrects s**t even when you tell it not to, but it's an ok suite if you can manage to ignore and overcome those things with some archaic methods.
submitting the purchase request through proper channels.
That is probably the best course of action. Do an audit on the installed software and licenses. Submit a report (in writing!) showing that X licenses are MISSING. Don't say they are doing anything illegal, treat it as a simple matter of losing track of the inventory. "Gee Mr. Boss, you're right, we don't use illegal software. But it's the darndest thing, we seem to have misplaced most of our license keys. We'd better track these down or get new ones."
If the boss comes up and tells you to install something improperly, just say "Well, I'd love to install X application. The only problem is that we don't have a valid license for it, and without that I just can't do it". If you get heat or a direct "just do it anyhow" then simply say "Look, what you're asking me to do is potentially not legal, & I'm not comfortable doing it." If repercussions come along, then go get an attorney.
But at least initially, don't be an accuser, don't run around crying foul, don't be a "whistleblower", etc. It'll put people on guard against you... and who knows, maybe the boss is just lazy and actually does have those licenses sitting around somewhere.
I'm sure it's a fine outfit, but what could the Boy Scouts of America possibly do about software piracy?
I can sadly relate. The company I work for has *severe* licensing issues.
What makes it more ironic/depressing/hypocritical is that we are a software development company.
Based on my position in the company, I report to the IT Manager, who reports directly to the CEO. No matter how much I push, I’ve not been able to get any real change.
Basically the CEO is tight and doesn’t want to spend money, at all. We have one (legit) MSDN subscription which is used by ~80 developers, in addition to powering all our production servers. Not to mention we’ve got a *ton* of shareware on people’s desktops which is never paid for.
I talk to my boss (IT Manager) about it who basically shrugs and goes “yeah? What do you want me to do about it?”
Given that the company is fairly laid back, I actually went direct to the CEO – he’s well aware of the problem, but his excuse is that “We’re a software development company, when we make a sale, Microsoft makes a sale” (eg. Our software will only work on a Windows system, so we’re apparently making Microsoft money by writing our software targeted at a Microsoft platform)
I’ve brought up the issues about the rewards for people to turn them in, and the general manager of the company basically said to me “Look, I know what we’re doing is wrong, and I know we’re going to be found out eventually, it’s just a matter of time – our plan is just to plead for mercy when Microsoft finally does come knocking”.
For me personally, the best I can do is to distance myself from the topic as best I can. I’ve ensured that my concerns have been heard, and are actually in writing, if the time ever comes that I may need to rely on.
I’ve made (very small) changes, I’ve stopped installing evaluation versions of WinZip/WinRAR and replaced it with 7-Zip, I’ve stopped installing TextPad on developer’s machines and replaced it with Notepad ++.
Other than that, all I can do is cringe when a staff member comes up to the IT department and says “Hey, I need installed on my PC, do we have a license for that?” and my boss says “Yeah, sure, no worries, we’ll have it installed by tomorrow”
(and sorry BSA et al. I am paranoid, so posting this from a newly-created throw-away account via Tor)
Unless the pay is amazing, you can't find another job, can't afford to loose your job, etc. let them know you don't intend to assist in pirating software; which includes supporting or installing it. Then inform them that there are good alternative solutions that they can move to that won't cost them a dime and all-but-eliminates the risks the company is currently taking violating software license agreements. I would probably point out that the BSA will eventually come down hard on the company- even if it hasn't happened yet. Plenty of open source software exists for things like archiving and compressing data. Be it on MS Windows or GNU/Linux. I would immediately seek out another job too before presenting these arguments. If they are stupid enough to fire you over it you can always report them.
They are the ones financially and legally responsible, just cite precedence about how the FBI kills people under "military orders" when they clearly know what they shot at was civilian. Oh yeah, thats just murder. You fuckin violated some copyrights son, you screwed.
"They confiscated everything, even the stuff we didn't steal!"
This could be evidence of Ethics Violations, and if you work for a company with an Ethics Hotline, or if you work for the Government or Department of Defense, it may be your duty to report this problem if it is not taken care of in a timely fashion. They take this sort of thing pretty seriously, and if I recall correctly, they recently passed some rules about just this sort of thing.
I've run into this before. I've always felt that your best bet is to just document everything. I've made a habit of following up verbal conversations with higher-ups with an email that basically says "I just want to make sure I'm clear on our conversation earlier today. I told you we have lots of pirated software and offered to work with purchasing to get us legal, and you said 'No'. Right?"
Keep that email archived somewhere and if the BSA ever comes knocking, you can prove you did your best but were shut down by the boss.
http://www.spa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=173&Itemid=233
Document your observations and the notice you gave to management, then go about your job and don't worry about it.
If you have a moral issue with piracy then also look for another job, but don't expect it to be much better at the new place.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
its ethics vs survival
no one will likely read this, and i wont be able to reply even if they do, given the flood of comments, but if anyone can benefit from this info...
the two places i worked at that i helped begin using opensource software got some much shit from their employees every time something went wrong with the individual's computer because, well, it must be the free software that fucked their computer up right? even some of the managers had trouble understanding that free software is sometimes way better and more stable than the other shit. i cant tell you how many times i had to listen to everyone bitch about this thing; the level of ignorance was amazing. after some time, i stopped trying to help them understand the situation and the software because they weren't interested.
A dishonest CEO will screw his employees (and his customers) over in a heartbeat. If he's being dishonest about software piracy, you can be confidant that he's just as dishonest in other areas, too (accounting, payroll, regulatory compliance, etc). You can't trust a crook.
Consider it a blessing that he's revealed his true colors. Polish your resume and get out ASAP.
I suggest you anonymously tip off your compliance department if you have one. If you don't have one then suggest that it will work in the short term but come up with a plan to come into compliance or a real alternative which meets your budget and requirements. If all else fails then look do what you're told or look for another job. Keep some documentation in case they come looking for somebody that you were told to do that even when you objected. When you change jobs, if you want to burn bridges then report them to the software authors.
So you've already complained to the president and gotten shot down?
Any PHB with that kind of an attitude probably doesn't give two shits about ethics...and worse yet, by opening your trap you probably set off a few alarms and got a target on your back.
Get into CYA mode right now and document everything.
Oh, and start looking for a new job. The higher ups are probably already scheming of a way to get rid of you before you cause any more trouble...part of which would come up with a plausible enough of a bullshit excuse to make sure their hands are clean.
Your next conversation should be with your lawyer. Particularly since by your own awareness of copyright infringement you could potentially be considered an accessory.
So if a company 'cheats' the system, as in they do not pay for a license then they do not legally have to accept an audit without a court order. However, if a company is legitimate and buys a proper license then they have to legally accept an audit?
Sounds like the safe solution is to cheat the system.
For non-profits looking to acquire licenses to get compliant take a look at sites like TechSoup.org. Lots of Microsoft and Adobe software, as well as others at greatly reduced prices ($16 bucks per license for Office 2007). For MS stuff, you can acquire up to 50 licenses for up to 6 titles every two years (with product assurance, if that matters to you).
I'm not tense. I'm just terribly, terribly, alert.
The free software, or the free informaion about pirated software, or the free money the BSA offers for denouncing software piracy?
Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
A humanist position would be that which most benefits humanity and human beings. Corporations are not human beings. Money, profit margins, products, economic principles, social systems, concepts, traditions and laws are not human beings. Opposing violence and ignorance in all forms is at the core of humanist proposals. The free flow of information, ideas, and communication benefits humanity. Copying information qualifies as communication, the flow of ideas. So "copyright" and "copy-no-rights" and patent law is censorship, simply. Which is clearly demonstrated by the raids, prosecutions, arrests, spying, censorship, etc on anyone who openly disobeys the copyright law. Yes, the economic systems create diffculties, too.
Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/