Sony BMG's hypocrisy: company busted for using warez

[Liviu_5]

This one is not strictly e-book related, but just to show how tricky things are these days.

Link:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...ing-warez.html

[Ervserver]

Even Sony isn't perfect

[Razi]

Sony installed spying software on their customers' computers to monitor the use of its music, those horrible memory sticks that change shape every so often in order to keep the prices up, the obsession with 'proprietary' applications, the list goes on. I never ever buy anything made by Sony, EVER. A horrible disgusting bunch of little greedy bastards. I buy Nintendo, Nokia, Bosch etc just to hurt Sony, they will never get my money. Less than half a million dollars is peanuts for Sony, they should have been sued for more.

[HarryT]

A slight overreaction, I think. You don't think that it was Sony's corporate policy to use software illegally, do you? Most likely just some "rogue" sysadmin installing dodgy software. Happens in every large organisation, I'm sure. That's why most large companies have internal software audits to try to make sure that their systems are "legit".

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

A slight overreaction, I think. You don't think that it was Sony's corporate policy to use software illegally, do you? Most likely just some "rogue" sysadmin installing dodgy software. Happens in every large organization, I'm sure. That's why most large companies have internal software audits to try to make sure that their systems are "legit".

Most pircay at a given company is the user(s) installing illegal software without permission or knowledge of the people in charge. I don't know of any company that allows this to happen as a matter of policy.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Ervserver

Even Sony isn't perfect

Really?!?

[Liviu_5]

Originally Posted by HarryT

A slight overreaction, I think. You don't think that it was Sony's corporate policy to use software illegally, do you? Most likely just some "rogue" sysadmin installing dodgy software. Happens in every large organisation, I'm sure. That's why most large companies have internal software audits to try to make sure that their systems are "legit".

Quote:

"The Business Software Alliance, however, believes that up to 47 percent of the software installed on Sony BMG's computers could be pirated."

Not that anyone claims that it's comapny policy, but you know the saying, you want others to be holy, you better be the holiest So, no excuses.

[Alisa]

I think the fact that they called tech support with a printed, albeit fake, license says there's a good chance they thought they'd purchased legitimate product. Oftentimes even at large companies, individual departments and offices have a good deal of control over choosing their own local vendors. It's not always centrally controlled. If they bought through a company they thought was a legitimate reseller, that would explain it. I doubt a rogue sysadmin would counterfeit paper license certificates.

I'm also quite leery of buying from Sony for all the reasons Razi stated plus some rather unsatisfactory support experiences I'd had in the past. I actually did consider buying a PRS, though, since there are so few options for reading devices and the hardware does seem quite right. Turns out it wasn't the right device for me. Still, just because I hate many of their business practices doesn't mean they're complete crooks. I'm getting the feeling this was an accident.

[Alexander Turcic]

Reminds me of the case where employees at Geek Squad/Best Buy used unlicensed copies of Winternals tools (after the trial period). Wikipedia:

In April, 2006, Geek Squad, a Best Buy company, was accused of allegedly using unlicensed versions of Winternals software that Winternals had supplied the company with to use during contract negotiations for using the software on a permanent basis. The contract talks broke down and Geek Squad's parent company Best Buy did not notify its Geek Squad Agents to stop using and discard the software. A judge granted a restraining order on April 12, requiring that use of all unlicensed software be stopped, and forcing Best Buy to turn over all copies of Winternals software within 20 days.[3] After settlement, a version of the Winternals software was released to be used by Geek Squad.[4]