Lost a contract to illegal s/w

[gt40]

Just got undercut on a $10,000 job by someone I know is using pirated s/w.
The s/w is about $15,000 U.S. - and he didn't spend a dime on it!
How can I compete with ppl like this?

May God strike him down!!! - or atleast give him an atomic wedgy

[Dilitante1]

Do you have the option of telling the company that the materials are illegaly obtained by this vendor?

Are there any agencies you could "drop a dime" to that would checkup on this guy?

[GT98]

Originally posted by Dilitante1


Are there any agencies you could "drop a dime" to that would checkup on this guy?

I know theres one in the US that can report companies that are using priarted software too...just can't remember the name

[mdhome]

Re: Lost a contract to illegal s/w

Originally posted by gt40
Just got undercut on a $10,000 job by someone I know is using pirated s/w.
The s/w is about $15,000 U.S. - and he didn't spend a dime on it!
How can I compete with ppl like this?

May God strike him down!!! - or atleast give him an atomic wedgy

Report the f***ker to the company that owns the software.

Regards MD

[gt40]

Yeh, I know where to drop a few hints.
Just not prepared to do this just yet, hoping it will catch up to him sooner or later.

Just venting at the moment - I could have really used the money right now.

How do you folks feel about people using illegal s/w for business purposes?
I have talked to the s/w vendor about piracy - he has told me they don't mind ppl using it at home to learn/fool around with, but they are fairly agressive with businesses that use it (fines are usually around $50,000)

[Brian R.]

Anyone who uses software to make a profit in any way should pay for the software. Equivalent to a tool.

Others are harder to define, depending on the circumstances.
JMHO

[Brian Ellis]

Now, we are all up in arms about software, but what about music? Now don't tell me that that's different. It isn't, In both cases, someone has provided a service and should be able to expect to be paid for it.

[Gurm]

I expect the artist to be paid, and the studios to be fairly compensated. Sadly, if I "buy" the album the artist gets nothing and the studio pockets it all. That's hardly fair.

- Gurm

[Sasq]

Brian, hold off on the music, thats a whole differnt kettle of fish - mostly because most of us would be happy to send the artist money.

gt40, do what you feel needs to be done. God knows i'd castrate anyone who stole the php framework stuff I write (and used it for paying work).

I suspect karma will catch up with this guy though.

[Sasq]

bugger me, same week and I mostly agree with KvH and Gurm in it.

[UtwigMU]

One problem is software costing the same in all countries:

For instance in USA an architect or graphic designer might earn 50k-100k per year, app he uses costing 3k, now here same guy might earn 12-30k per year but the same app costs 3k. At this ratio software prices become an issue and not even companies have all legal software here.

My stance - software prices are generally too high, due to oligopls or monopols and cartels. Another problem is the prices are set for USA GNP and prices are lower there due to size of market.

Despite that IMO as long as you use software for business reasons you should own licenses. If you for instance just use an app to play with it in spare time and don't own a licence and couldn't/wouldn't buy it if you weren't able to pirate it, that's IMO OK.

Not so much for moral reasons, but imagine 1 disgruntled employee, customer or competition reporting you to BSA and the fines they would impose on you - too much risk.

For instance companies use illegal versions or have part time employees that work at home on illegal software or they told me you could install Photoshop on CD-ROM on a Mac or that you can have external hard drives - peanuts compared to fine BSA would charge you or cost of software.

The only problem i see is starting business and buying software - you need lots of software, yet you can't buy all at once - it would take a while to legalize it.

[KvHagedorn]

Originally posted by Sasq
bugger me, same week and I mostly agree with KvH and Gurm in it.

Whoops! Getting older and wiser, eh, Dan?

[Sasq]

nope, just senile

[Brian Ellis]

Join the club, Sasq

[az]

GT40, how about contacting the company who uses that software? Telling them to retract their cheap offer or you tell the BSA about the illegal software? (Yeah I know it's threatening and not very nice, but they're not very nice either, and I'm sure you'll find a more diplomatic way to do it).

AZ