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. The only good side to this is that it seems to have convinced the deputy head involved that they really ought to have a Free software strategy. -- Ian Lynch <ian.lynch@zmsl.com> ZMS Ltd
<unlurk> hi Get it cancelled they have not right to and thy just come in and con you into spending money. they do this all the while with schools and if they threaten to write to head to say you are being unhelpful etc say ok you do that then tell head. look on the register for more info on them Russ "Don't Bother Me I'm Reinstalling Windows" - Les Barker Peace Out </delurk> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Lynch" <ian.lynch@zmsl.com> To: "SuSE for Schools" <suse-linux-uk-schools@suse.com> Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 11:56 AM Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] FAST bullying schools 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. The only good side to this is that it seems to have convinced the deputy head involved that they really ought to have a Free software strategy. -- Ian Lynch <ian.lynch@zmsl.com> ZMS Ltd -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-help@suse.com
On Fri, 2005-02-25 at 11:55, Russell Dyas wrote:
<unlurk> hi
Get it cancelled they have not right to and thy just come in and con you into spending money.
they do this all the while with schools and if they threaten to write to head to say you are being unhelpful etc say ok you do that then tell head.
look on the register for more info on them
Russ
"Don't Bother Me I'm Reinstalling Windows" - Les Barker
Peace Out
</delurk>
This particular school hasn't signed up to anything but the approach to get in was by implying they had some evidence that the school was breaking the law and that they needed to discuss this. Its the most devious sort of spam marking in my view and it needs as much exposure as possible because nothing is more certian to accelerate people to FLOSS. They might be scared of the transition to FLOSS, but most people are more scared of threats to put them in prison. -- Ian Lynch <ian.lynch@zmsl.com> ZMS Ltd
On Fri, 2005-02-25 at 11:55, Russell Dyas wrote:
<unlurk> hi
Get it cancelled they have not right to and thy just come in and con you into spending money.
they do this all the while with schools and if they threaten to write to head to say you are being unhelpful etc say ok you do that then tell
yes they do I would also complain to trading standards about it might not be able to do anything also look for fast website see if can find a few medium to big companies that are involved with them i.e subscribed and send them letter explaining that you think fast are acting inappropriately on there behalf. russ peace out ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Lynch" <ian.lynch@zmsl.com> To: "Russell Dyas" <russell.dyas@limehursthigh.leics.sch.uk> Cc: "SuSE for Schools" <suse-linux-uk-schools@suse.com> Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 12:47 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] FAST bullying schools head.
look on the register for more info on them
Russ
"Don't Bother Me I'm Reinstalling Windows" - Les Barker
Peace Out
</delurk>
This particular school hasn't signed up to anything but the approach to get in was by implying they had some evidence that the school was breaking the law and that they needed to discuss this. Its the most devious sort of spam marking in my view and it needs as much exposure as possible because nothing is more certian to accelerate people to FLOSS. They might be scared of the transition to FLOSS, but most people are more scared of threats to put them in prison.
-- Ian Lynch <ian.lynch@zmsl.com> ZMS Ltd
On Fri, 2005-02-25 at 12:47 +0000, Ian Lynch wrote:
On Fri, 2005-02-25 at 11:55, Russell Dyas wrote:
<unlurk> hi
Get it cancelled they have not right to and thy just come in and con you into spending money.
they do this all the while with schools and if they threaten to write to head to say you are being unhelpful etc say ok you do that then tell head.
look on the register for more info on them
Russ
"Don't Bother Me I'm Reinstalling Windows" - Les Barker
Peace Out
</delurk>
This particular school hasn't signed up to anything but the approach to get in was by implying they had some evidence that the school was breaking the law and that they needed to discuss this. Its the most devious sort of spam marking in my view and it needs as much exposure as possible because nothing is more certian to accelerate people to FLOSS. They might be scared of the transition to FLOSS, but most people are more scared of threats to put them in prison.
We've heard from a company that was approached / threatened in the same way (curiously the same week they started their migration to a linux + samba pdc server) The discussion seemed to imply that FAST would be doing an audit and there could be severe penalties if any discrepancies were found - however a £5000 FAST audit could take all those problems away. This all reminds me of a protection racket. Paul
-- Ian Lynch <ian.lynch@zmsl.com> ZMS Ltd
participants (3)
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Ian Lynch -
Paul Cooper -
Russell Dyas