http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Tue, 6 May 2003 14:42:18 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/06/124123.php#comment-9143 Mike, Mickey doesn't look much like a mouse either, and Pogo sure as HELL doesn't look like an opossum - one of God's ugliest creatures - so I'm not too worried about animated verisimilitude; but I do very much appreciate the BSA information, which I vaguely knew of but didn't have any real handle upon. Thanks. I am certain their theft-loss figures are as distorted as their tactics. 9143@blogcritics.org Tue, 6 May 2003 14:42:18 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/06/124123.php#comment-9135 <div style="float:right"><a href="http://www.whiterose.org/michael/blog/archives/Duncan.html" alt="Duncan at Age 4 (1998)" onclick="window.open('http://www.whiterose.org/michael/blog/archives/Duncan.html','popup','width=592,height=418,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">Duncan Canmore,<br />King of Scots and Ferrets<br /><img src="http://www.whiterose.org/michael/blog/archives/Duncan-thumb.jpg" width="195" height="137" border="0" /></a></div>That's not a ferret. This is what ferrets look like. I won't go into details, but other members of the mustelid family include weasels and polecats. One of the BSA's tactics is to make a BSA audit so onerous that it is in a company's best interest to fold and pay them off than to go through with it. It lets them claim to have done good and increases their value to the alliance members. Tales of huge penalties at Fortune 500 companies are used both to recruit new members to the alliance and to convince other companies that it's easier to just pay the BSA away. Here's one trick I've heard them use with large companies that actually get audited: it doesn't matter if you have the written liscence agreement, the box, the physical material, your PO, your cancelled check, etc., they consider software "unliscenced" if you cannot produce an invoice for it. It's too bad, because they are right that people should not illegally copy software and that companies should not run their businesses by illegally copying software. However, they use such bad tactics that they taint their own efforts. If only they could get Madonna to swear at infringers... 9135@blogcritics.org Tue, 6 May 2003 14:21:25 EDT