Robert Bushman wrote:
>Thanks Derek!
>
>I think "BSA/FBI Licensing Raids - Is Your Corporation
>Safe?", or something like that would be a fantastic
>presentation topic for IF2. It would be a nice opportunity
>for some info handouts as well. Anybody want to take
>this one?
>
>Bob
>
Here's a link to the BSA's press release on the "voluntary software
audits" in Arizona (read: raids in a velvet glove due to disgruntled
employee "songbird" or other nefarious scenario):
http://www.bsa.org/usa/press/newsreleases/2002-01-16.854.phtml
These local examples should be hammered home to every company with ears
and a tight budget. The most pathetic comment was from the EVP of Ops.
of one of the Phoenix companies, who said his company was "happy that we
were able to work with the BSA to resolve the unintentional licensing
issues identified by our audit".......excuse me, but if I were the owner
or an investor in that company, and I'd just had to cough up $65K to
cover my ass outside of court, I wouldn't be "happy": I'd be birddogging
anything that didn't say "Microsoft" on the box. Yes, presentations do
need to be positive, but a little fear of losing major cash over
licensing issues, which are always difficult to control anyway, would
help (and already is helping) to push folks toward open source. Ernie
Ball is a great example, and we have examples right here in Phoenix as
well (Maybe we should get the Presidents of the Phoenix companies that
got stung to get special invitations...<grin>)......
Tom
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