Timeline for How can I approach management when asked to work without a software license?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
25 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2017 at 12:48 | history | edited | CommunityBot |
replaced http://workplace.stackexchange.com/ with https://workplace.stackexchange.com/
|
|
| Aug 26, 2014 at 20:44 | history | edited | IDrinkandIKnowThings | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
deleted 8 characters in body
|
| Aug 26, 2014 at 20:41 | comment | added | IDrinkandIKnowThings | @Bmo - I get what you are saying but you are claiming in your answer that it is illegal to do so. And at least inferring that the OP is at risk for this. Can you back that up in your answer? And if the OP is in violation of the licence is there anything to back up that this is a crime or even unethical to use improperly licensed software? | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 20:28 | comment | added | Bmo | @ReallyTiredOfThisGame If it is licensed, it's not licensed properly and still in violation. From my perspective, bringing up the issue and leaving it be is being complicit to the act at a certain point. | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 20:23 | comment | added | IDrinkandIKnowThings | @Bmo - I am asking what is illegal about an employee using software that his employer claims is licenced that is employer owned and the work product is the property of the employer. How is does that make the employee liable criminally or civilly? (you probably need an outside reference for this) I get that the employer is breaking the law, but can you show that the employee is as well? | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 20:05 | comment | added | Bmo | @ReallyTiredOfThisGame I'm not sure I understand. Are you asking what is illegal about using unlicensed software? Just because your employer claims it is licensed does not make it so. His workstation is telling him that it is not. This from BSA explains quite a bit. Regardless if they have enough licences, it's not being administered correctly and would be subject to fines should an audit occurred. | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 19:54 | comment | added | IDrinkandIKnowThings | What is illegal about the OP using software that was provided by your employer that your employer claims is licenced as directed by his employer? | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 17:52 | comment | added | Roger | How do we know that the OP asked the right person? In a big IT department, responsibility for MSFT licensing may run through one or two people, and it's likely that only those people would have an accurate view of things. This is another case of "workers should work - managers should manage". Reporting as "piracy" without any actual knowledge is a decidedly bad-faith action - a nuclear option - and could very justifiably lead to OP's dismissal. | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 15:07 | comment | added | jwenting | @Brandin so you report them anonymously and the investigation finds there were licenses. Might scare those idiots in IT into doing their job for a change and making sure all machines are properly licensed and recorded. If there's such a lax attitude that they can't be bothered to distribute the licenses they have it's a more than even chance they don't know how many machines they need licenses for (and yes, I've seen that frequently). | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 14:28 | comment | added | Ajedi32 | @EgeErsoz Fyi, I think you're confusing right-to-work and at-will employment. | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 9:41 | comment | added | Pepone | @LegoStormtroopr civil offences are sill Illegal just prosecuted slightly differently | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 7:49 | comment | added | Brandin | This is not correct. Just because a warning message shows does not mean there is no license. If I reinstall my OS without an internet connection, it may show a warning message because it can't contact microsoft servers. That doesn't mean there's no license, it just means the program is warning you that you may not have a license. | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 4:35 | comment | added | Philip Kendall | @LegoStormtrooper That's jurisdiction specific. In the UK, copyright violations done as part of a business are a criminal offence. | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 4:02 | comment | added | Joe | @LegoStormtroopr It is illegal. The law protects civil rights along with punishing criminal actions. The phrase "illegal" covers both. | |
| Aug 26, 2014 at 1:23 | comment | added | user9158 | Software piracy isn't illegal, its a civil matter. | |
| Aug 25, 2014 at 21:02 | history | edited | Bmo | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 141 characters in body
|
| Aug 25, 2014 at 21:01 | comment | added | Ege Ersoz | I would too. Not sure about putting it on my resume however. Last thing you want to do when looking for a job is to give people the impression that you're a troublemaker. The places that would hire you for having "strong principles" or whatever are pretty rare. | |
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:55 | comment | added | Bmo | @EgeErsoz Then he can put on his resume/CV he was fired for blowing the whistle on illegal software. If I was given illegal software and told to deal with it I would start looking for a new job immediately anyway. | |
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:48 | history | edited | Bmo | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
edited body
|
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:39 | comment | added | Ege Ersoz | This is all good, but there isn't anything that is preventing the employer from firing the original poster after he blows the whistle, especially if he works in a right-to-work state. Even if he does it anonymously, it wouldn't be difficult for his boss to connect the dots. | |
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:38 | review | Low quality posts | |||
| Aug 25, 2014 at 21:08 | |||||
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:36 | history | edited | Bmo | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
edited body
|
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:30 | history | edited | Bmo | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Removed block about cracking software after OP question was edited.
|
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:17 | history | edited | Bmo | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added content
|
| Aug 25, 2014 at 20:11 | history | answered | Bmo | CC BY-SA 3.0 |