[Am-info] The Reign of Terror is at hand!

[Joe Moore]

Paul Rickard wrote:
> 
> ========== On 11/6/00 3:05 PM, Joe Barr typed: ============
> 
> >The saturation radio ads being run in Austin instill the fear that the
> >BSA can raid a business and seize its computers based on nothing
> >more than the suspicion of using unlicensed software.
> >
> >Can they legally raid/seize property based on suspicion?
> 
>    The US government seizes property if there's a suspicion it has been
> involved in drug trafficking. Even when it hasn't - and in many cases it
> isn't returned even after the suspect has been cleared. Why? Because
> several federal and state law enforcement agencies get a lot of money
> reselling seized property.

Yes, but that's the government.  The BSA is not a part of the
government.

I would guess that the power the BSA wields is mostly an empty threat. 
The only recourse they have if you refuse their "audit" is a lawsuit. 
In which case the burden of proof _should_ be on them to show that you
are doing something illegal.  On the other hand, that sort of lawsuit
also opens them up for counterclaims, etc.

I guess the city in VA decided that it was less of a headache to do the
"audit" than it would be to defend it in court.

--Joe "Not a Lawyer, Not even on TV"
-- 
"It is unlikely that the world is ever going to move to one operating 
environment. There are always going to be three or four commonly used
operating environments." - Paul Maritz, Interview with CrossTalk, 
http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/CrossTalk/2000/sep/maritz.asp