Re: [Fsfe-uk] FAST bullying tactics in schools

[Ian Lynch]

On Fri, 2005-02-25 at 15:42, address@hidden wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 25, 2005 at 11:55:15AM +0000, Ian Lynch wrote:
> > I have just had a rather disturbing phone call from a client school.
> > Apparently some FAST (Federation against Software Theft) bully has just
> > been scaring them to death about software licensing, mentioning prison
> > sentences and such like and then offering to audit their systems if they
> > pay £5000. 
> 
> Coo, I would tell the school to speak to their legal beagles at the LEA
> (or whoever deals with this) and see if they can do nasty things back at
> FAST and at the same time the school involved should of course remind 
> all the other schools about software licensing and inform them of the 
> alternatives.

Yes its pretty close to extortion, asking for money with menaces. Sort
of a digital protection racket.

The way they did the initial introduction was to suggest the school had
done something illegal and that they needed to speak to someone about
it. Highly unethical at best. Still probably shooting themselves in the
foot now we have FLOSS alternatives.
-- 
Ian Lynch <address@hidden>
ZMS Ltd