BSA and software audits

[Soybomb]

Okay so I'm channel surfing and was watching "Cyber Crime" on TechTV and they were talking about pirated software. They were interviewing a guy with a law firm that works with the BSA (business software alliance) and said they often just use cease and desist letters, but sometimes they show up "with federal marshalls and order everyone to step away from their machines."

I'm just curious how they do that? I'm assuming they get warrents to take the machines? I'm just curious because I've always heard about these BSA audits and wondered how they get all their authority to do this..... It just seems like they're overstepping their authority, at least on the surface

 

[tm37]

If you reposrt a crime that usually is probable cause to get a warrent and do a search.

MOst of the BSA's leads come from current and former employees.

 

[Soybomb]

What does it take for them to get the warrents though, just a tip? Seems like it would be pretty easy for a former employee to cause the employer that fired him some headaches if he said they used pirated goods. Even if they didn't, it would be a hell of an interruption and hassle.

When they come with a warrent do they take the whole machine, check there, take the hard drive, etc? When they have a search warrent they don't kick you out of your house right? It just seems to me like them coming in and taking a bunch of machines on just suspicion could devistate a business.

To my understanding the bsa will send a business a letter asking for proof of ownership for the software. I'm guessing they'll take action if they don't receive that. But once again, can they actually get a warrent just because you don't show the manufacturer proof of ownership? Dodge doesn't ask me to show the title of my car at random. It just seems wrong........

 

[Freejack2]

To my understanding the bsa will send a business a letter asking for proof of ownership for the software.

So if your office runs Linux and Staroffice that was downloaded, do you send screenshots as proof of ownership?

 

[vi edit]

Sounds like killing a fly with a sledgehammer...or do I mean sending in a fully armed swat team with full combat gear to retrieve a 5 year old kid hiding in a closet?

Anyway..sounds rather excessive.

 

[Jzero]

The BSA is full of sh!t. They rely solely on scare tactics to do their job, and claiming they show up with federal marshalls is yet another scare tactic.

 

[HappyPuppy]

Originally posted by: Jzero
The BSA is full of sh!t. They rely solely on scare tactics to do their job, and claiming they show up with federal marshalls is yet another scare tactic.

Word up.