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Maybe so, but I'm not in the game to find out who, but I do know, that come Monday, a couple heads are gonna be-a-rollin, because if they don't buy the licenses or remove the illegal software, then the real fun begins...

k2x4b524p wrote:

Maybe so, but I'm not in the game to find out who, but I do know, that come Monday, a couple heads are gonna be-a-rollin, because if they don't buy the licenses or remove the illegal software, then the real fun begins...

That's when you get out the lawn chair, a cooler full of beer, a big bag of popcorn, and watch the fun begin!.


At one of my first jobs (that **** ATEC/CTEC training institute), the BSA rolled up WITH US MARSHALS IN TOW. The second the man wearing body armor and holding the shotgun said "STEP AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD NOW!" I raised my hands, and happily walked out the door laughing my ass off, because I knew exactly who had done it (a very disgruntled salesman I was friends with), and I sat in the parking lot smoking a cigarette as I watched them cart away tower after tower for analysis, while the CEO was frantically trying to act all innocent. She totally deserved everything she had coming to her. It was nice watching Karma work itself out.

While I agree that companies that flagrantly violate licensing rules need to be held accountable, I also find it disturbing that armed US Marshals are involved in routine enforcement actions. Aren't matters of contract law normally handled in civil court? We the public are effectively subsidizing the BSA's business model with our tax dollars. (Unless the US Marshal Service charges the BSA a fee for this... I have no idea whether they do or not.)

just brew it! wrote:

While I agree that companies that flagrantly violate licensing rules need to be held accountable, I also find it disturbing that armed US Marshals are involved in routine enforcement actions. Aren't matters of contract law normally handled in civil court?

This happened back in 1999, and while I wasn't privy to all the dirty laundry, there was more going on there than just unlicensed copies of software. The CEO in question ended up serving time for several felony charges.

The marshals were there to ensure no destruction of evidence could occur, and to establish continuity of custodianship of said evidence.

Who knows? Maybe that company was already under a watch list of some sort and no one knew about it. My guess is that the disgruntled may have reported it in such a fashion that warranted the US Marshalls in tow. More likely, that is standard procedure, given how rampant software piracy really is, and the crowds of people that typically do it, that and they can't have you erasing the evidence can that? No better crowd control than the threat of a bullet to the brainpan I guess....

k2x4b524p wrote:

Who knows? Maybe that company was already under a watch list of some sort and no one knew about it. My guess is that the disgruntled may have reported it in such a fashion that warranted the US Marshalls in tow. More likely, that is standard procedure, given how rampant software piracy really is, and the crowds of people that typically do it, that and they can't have you erasing the evidence can that? No better crowd control than the threat of a bullet to the brainpan I guess....

To be truthful, the Marshals were really cool guys! They even let me grab my tchotkes from my office before I left, but he did watch me *very* closely.

k2x4b524p wrote:

Who knows? Maybe that company was already under a watch list of some sort and no one knew about it. My guess is that the disgruntled may have reported it in such a fashion that warranted the US Marshalls in tow. More likely, that is standard procedure, given how rampant software piracy really is, and the crowds of people that typically do it, that and they can't have you erasing the evidence can that? No better crowd control than the threat of a bullet to the brainpan I guess....

Now, I'm not saying in your case would anything cool like the marshals rolling up occur, but still, I'd stake out the campus IT building that day, just in case.

In my experience most on site legal actions against businesses have Marshalls, essentially the enforcers for the suit serving whatever it may be. In my case...it was failing to file the proper tax forms after a failed business, resulting in a tax official and two Marshalls coming to seize the business, which, well, didn't exist.

jss21382 wrote:

In my experience most on site legal actions against businesses have Marshalls, essentially the enforcers for the suit serving whatever it may be. In my case...it was failing to file the proper tax forms after a failed business, resulting in a tax official and two Marshalls coming to seize the business, which, well, didn't exist.

That is kinda humorous, coming to take something that doesn't exist.. Their loss I guess. Who got the bill for them showing up?

There are idiots everywhere. Throw a stone, hit an idiot.

I'm not going to knock certs. I've gotten a couple, and they've been useful. I've picked up good information while studying for them, and they focus me by providing a goal and structure for learning new technology.

The irony of this post heading is uncanny.