University checking for "legal" software?

[egeekial]

My girlfriend and I were talking and she said that her dad wants her to get M$ Office on her computer because the school is going to check the cd keys/serials. I was like, "WTF? They can't invade my personal property like that!" I don't know how reliable this information is... ie who told him, if they were trying to scare us, if she misunderstood, or what.

I buy all my Microsoft products, anyway... I am just curious if they really can do that and what they would do if they found "pirated" software.

By the way, the school is Marshall University
http://www.marshall.edu

 

[beatmix01]

If it is a personal computer then they cannot, unless their network use policy states otherwise. ie. Any computer attached to the university network will be subject to random auditing. (If it is a private university they can do that.)

If they found pirated software and actually wanted to pursue it, diciplinary action could be taken to adhere to the schools judiciary process. If they really wanted to screw the student, they may turn them over to the authorities. (Much less likely since that would receive press and no university wants bad press.)

 

[godmare]

Originally posted by: beatmix01
If it is a personal computer then they cannot, unless their network use policy states otherwise. ie. Any computer attached to the university network will be subject to random auditing. (If it is a private university they can do that.)

If they found pirated software and actually wanted to pursue it, diciplinary action could be taken to adhere to the schools judiciary process. If they really wanted to screw the student, they may turn them over to the authorities. (Much less likely since that would receive press and no university wants bad press.)

I would suspect there is most likely such a network use clause to that effect.
ot: OpenOffice is a great freeware MS Office replacement.

 

[NogginBoink]

Universities are in the business of educating people; they're not cops.

Unless someone is threatening legal action against the university for the actions of the students, I can't envision any university taking the time and expense to do anything like this.

 

[yukichigai]

If you're really worried about it don't leave your computer on while you're away, and put passwords on your account and the administrator account. Unless they require you to give them all passwords for your computer -- and I can't think of a single university that does this -- it'll take more than a casual, random audit to find anything on your computer. You'll certainly know about it beforehand.

 

[brtspears2]

If her dad is going to buy her a copy of MS Office, why be afraid? I remember a few times working for resnet that a company representing the larger software firm would ask for more information on a suspected illegal copy of software installed. Worse thing, your bootleg software has a "call home" function or you are sharing it on P2P.

OpenOffice.Org is great. Of course everyone insults me that I am using inferior software, along with this inferior thing I call Linux.

 

[egeekial]

Originally posted by: brtspears2
Worse thing, your bootleg software has a "call home" function or you are sharing it on P2P.

Do Windows XP or Office phone home?

 

[Brian M]

Anyone have a link reffering to this story?

 

[everman]

Universities always sell software like office dirt cheap if not free, so what's the problem?

 

[mchammer187]

they don't have the time or the resources to do this

i doubt any would care unless they were threatened with legal action

 

[kami333]

Read the network usage policy. There's probably a clause in there about auditing any computer attached to the network or something along those lines. My college had something to that effect, really buried in there and not even the admin was aware of it (I make it a point to read through stuff like that in detail). Schools have to cover their ass somehow.

 

[minendo]

Either buy the programs or don't use them.

 

[Lazy8s]

Even if they are threatened they won't to anything. A good friend of mine was caught with a copy of a movie on his HD by the ECC and Sony and they sent a letter to our school, know what happened? Our school gave them a new IP and told them they were an idiot, end of story. Schools don't want a bad image they will do anything to cover it up.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: kami333
Read the network usage policy. There's probably a clause in there about auditing any computer attached to the network or something along those lines. My college had something to that effect, really buried in there and not even the admin was aware of it (I make it a point to read through stuff like that in detail). Schools have to cover their ass somehow.

Bingo. I dont use illegal software and I still wouldnt want to have someone snooping through my computer. Always cover your tail by READING what you are agreeing to. You dont have to be hooked up to their network although the speed is hard to resist.

While in college, my buddies and I built a cheap linux server and used it as a firewall to connect to the schools network, instead of just jacking right in (this was prior to the wide availablity of linksys routers on the cheap, not to mention my school network had a Token Ring network ).

 

[egeekial]

Originally posted by: everman
Universities always sell software like office dirt cheap if not free, so what's the problem?

It's not dirt cheap.. at least online. It was like $150. I should call down there and see how much they sell it for.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: egeekial

Originally posted by: everman
Universities always sell software like office dirt cheap if not free, so what's the problem?

It's not dirt cheap.. at least online. It was like $150. I should call down there and see how much they sell it for.

Usually you can buy it as a "Student License" for literally a few bucks. I got the entire Windows/Office/Macromedia suites for $5.

- M4H

 

[GiggityGiggity]

Unless you're using one of the well known pirated/blacklisted keys, I seriously doubt they'd have any way of finding out. They'd literally have to gain either physical access or remote admin to each machine individually, pull the keys from the registry, organize a spreadsheet with the users/rooms/keys/pc's, and compare it to the known list of illegal keys. For a school like that, you're talking weeks of work because people will undoubtedly have routers, firewalls, passwords, etc... I suppose they could submit the list to MS as well, for proof of validation, but then the school would be opening up a can of legal worms from its students as well as from MS if they did contain any illegal keys.

I'm sure someone on the board or the legal dept suggested this course of action proactively to stave off any claims against the school. The school is doing its part to police its users, on paper at least.

 

[brtspears2]

Originally posted by: egeekial

Originally posted by: brtspears2
Worse thing, your bootleg software has a "call home" function or you are sharing it on P2P.

Do Windows XP or Office phone home?

Don't know, don't care. All my software is licensed or purchased. I know some high end Adobe software does.