Why the BSA Is Less Reviled Than the RIAA 371
Hugh Pickens writes "The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is a trade group established in 1988 representing a number of the world's largest software makers whose principal activity is trying to stop copyright infringement of software produced by its members, performing roughly the same function for the software industry that the RIAA performs for the music industry. Yet, as Bill Patry, author of a 7-volume treatise on US copyright law and currently Senior Copyright Counsel at Google, notes on his blog the BSA is a 'far less unpopular organization' than the RIAA because there are three key differences between the BSA's campaigns and the RIAA's. First, BSA's members have always offered their products for sale to the public, through any channel that wants to sell them. Second, BSA's members are consumer-oriented; they try to develop products that respond to consumers' needs, and not, the reverse: focusing on what they want to sell to consumers. Third, because consumers can easily purchase BSA's members products, those who copy without paying are simply scofflaws. 'I think the fact that the public does not object to BSA's campaign proves my point [that]... people do not want things for free; they are willing to pay for them,' writes Patry. 'It should not be surprising that when consumers are not treated with respect, they react negatively. That's something the software industry learned long ago, and that's why people don't object to the BSA's enforcement campaign.'"
Re:Don't bite the hand that feeds you (Score:5, Funny)
Why should I trust you? You're not even buffer safe.
Not evil, definately (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Ernie Ball (Score:3, Funny)
Here's the thing though: when Windows XP goes off the market for good, I'll bet there'll be a lot more businesses pirating it, because Microsoft will be doing the opposite of the reasons listed in the TFA: forcing companies to buy their newest product (Windows 7) instead of allowing them to buy what they want (Windows XP).
Here's the really crazy part: Companies will "pirate" XP and then voluntarily turn themselves in to the BSA to pay the fine and have a nice legal license for the software Microsoft won't sell.
Extra humor: If Microsoft refuses to do the licensing and it goes to court, the judge will have a great laugh when the defendant says "We tried to pay, but Microsoft wouldn't accept payment."
Re:Ernie Ball (Score:1, Funny)
they make acoustic strings as well.
Put the pipe down
Re:Value of music vs value of software (Score:3, Funny)
If I take your lettuce out of your fridge, you are no longer able to eat it.
If I take a copy of an mp3 off your ipod, you can still listen to it.
That's why it is different.
Re:Ernie Ball (Score:3, Funny)
I agree with the grandparent - the devil incarnate isn't as evil as the BSA.
Re:Less sympathy for companies (Score:2, Funny)
Isn't that what Windows is supposed to enable the functionally illiterate to do?
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)