Craig Sanders wrote:
On Thu, May 09, 2013 at 04:23:07PM +1000, Trent W. Buck wrote:
Petros wrote:
a while ago I've got an e-mail asking me to fill out a report about IT assets. They claim to work for Microsoft, that Microsoft has the right to ask for this information and I have to do it. I wouldn't be sending them anything until they can authenticate and authorize themselves as acting on MS's behalf. me either.
they're right about one thing - they do have the right to ask for the information. as a general rule, it's no crime to ask for information.
whether they have the right to demand, or whether you have any obligation to answer is another matter entirely.
without further details, it's impossible to say for sure.
I suppose what interests me is the 'legal status ' of a software licence. As an 'aspiring' inventor I am all to aware that plagiarizing a patent is not illegal; I have to take civil action against the offending party. Whereas I believe in Victoria plagiarizing a copyrighted publication is a criminal act; so if I was an author seeking legal compensation the first thing I would do would be to complain to the police; because a successful criminal prosecution would make an ensuing civil action much easier. In Victoria; is possessing and or using software without the requisite 'software licence' a criminal offense or merely grounds for a civil action a-la patents ? regards Rohan McLeod