on 20 April 2009
‘Faces of Internet Piracy’ charmingly presents some of the chumps convicted of selling unlicensed copies of computer programs telling the stories of how their homes were raided by ‘millions of cops’ and ‘FBI SWAT teams’ (it’s not clear why tactical firearms support would be required to extract a geek’s PC from his living room, but the BSA is happy to let its victims embroider the drama) and they now face years in prison.
Yes, prison would be an unpleasant and dangerous place intended for unpleasant and dangerous people, and years would be the length of time regularly not served by convicted violent criminals, especially if they choose to give evidence against more successful violent criminals. Software pirates, like the middle-aged suburban lady included in this reel, would be unlikely to know any violent criminals to rat on, because, as the BSA paradoxically seems to be emphasising, they’re ordinary harmless people like you and me. So hard luck for them.
It’s a sobering reminder that the Pirate Bay judgement (and the TPB guys are, to be fair, significantly less bang-to-rights than the rip-off merchants seen here) is the tip of an iceberg. People all over the place, in countries that should know better, are getting banged up for infringing complicated and controversial laws in ways that may or may not significantly damage the revenues of large companies. Of course, selling copied software for money is dishonest, and all the worse if the people buying it are led to believe it’s legit; no argument there. But are the draconian penalties necessary in the interests of justice, or is this really about oil? Sorry, I mean business?
Not that the BSA necessarily supports business, of course. It’s very keen on rooting out every piece of unlicensed software in use within businesses that aren’t its own members, assisted by large rewards paid to employees who grass on their employers – something almost any employee can do, since the BSA’s own figures suggest the majority of organisations have at least a little bit of unlicensed software around the place. Then it presses for heavy fines against the companies concerned, having lobbied for the legislation that brought those heavy fines onto the statute books. Serving the public interest, or battering the many in the interest of the few? You the audience decide.
I can stomach the incarceration of a fellow human being if it prevents Mrs Granny getting mugged, but when it’s simply to ensure Microsoft can sell another licence of Office – assuming the punter who was going to buy the pirate copy can actually afford the real one – I’m not so sure. In fact, I wonder if it might not be a little bit sick.
I don’t know what anyone else thinks, because the BSA have disabled comments on the video. Hmm.
adambanksdotcom @gbarl Bah, missed your Watchdog. Do they do it on iPlayer?