Is there any justification for using pirated software any-more? I don’t think so – and don’t think there ever really was a reason to pirate software!

With the growth of the Open Source Community, the typical excuse for using pirated software of “The software is too expensive to buy for a small company like ours – but we *need* it” is blown apart. You genuinely can’t afford Microsoft Office? No problem – use Open Office instead. It’s free! Need the additional features Microsoft Office provides? There’s your incentive for splashing out and purchasing a license.

Clients and Licensing

This time last year I dealt with a client who had a dozen computers and wanted to move to a centralised server environment. My quote to them included a dozen Microsoft Office licenses, which surprised the client who raised the point that he was already running Microsoft Office. “Illegally” I added to that statement. All the MS Office 2000 licenses were using the same CD-key, a well known pirated key.

So I offered them the Open Source alternative. “But we use Outlook and Excel, we *need* them” they said. Then you’ll be needing a dozen MS Office licenses I explained. “Can’t we buy them at a later date?”. Afraid not! I went on to explain how licensing worked and how not purchasing a license meant you were using software illegally. I could have explained financing options – but I was already getting the sinking feeling that it wasn’t a case of the client not being able to afford to buy those licenses, it was a case of them not wanting to pay for something they’d already been using for free for so long.

Therefore buy the licenses and become compliant, remove the pirated software or continue as you are and knowingly break the law were the three options. The decision that came back from the client was nothing short of stunning.

“We’ve made a Business Decision to continue as we are”.

In other words, we’ve made a Business Decision… to break the law.

I informed the client that unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to undertake the work for them as a result of their decision.

Sanity Prevails

On this occasion, sanity prevailed and my stance jolted the client into doing the right thing. But from that moment on I considered… if the client was happy to rip off Microsoft, maybe they’d be just as happy to rip me off when my invoice was presented? Thankfully they didn’t, but they weren’t a great client (always paid late, needed chasing for payment) and perhaps I should have followed my gut instinct and walked away at the start.

So whether you are a Consultant, employee or Contractor at a company that uses pirated software – consider that if that company has no business ethics when it comes to breaking the copyright laws, what else might they be equally comfortable at doing nasty or underhanded when dealing with you?