THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA

91 percent of Canadian small businesses see Software piracy as unethical, says the headline.

Unfortunately around the world, there aren't enough Canadians, I guess.  Because there are enough firms, enough folks that are going to screw it up for the rest of us.

What am I talking about?  The Microsoft “Action Pack”.  It's a software kit for Microsoft partners to use and install and LEARN the software.  And it's reasonably priced.  Very reasonably priced.  To the point where there are some folks willing to nit pick their way through the verbage to justify it's use in their business.

Recently on a list serve I'm on, one of these 'oh yes, I deserve it' situations came out.  The firm argued that becaue they devised and deployed Microsoft solutions for their own employees and independent contractors that they qualified.  That's like saying “Gee, because I write Excel Macros in my firm I qualify for Action pack because I deploy solutions”.

Give me a break.  The intent, the goal of the Action pack is to get consultants, resellers, Vars, Vaps more confortable with the product to in turn, drive more sales.  It's not to provide cheap software for some customer who's willing to bend the rules.  In my book, unless you are in the new MPAN program for Accountants, if you are a firm and you have to HAND the box to someone to install it, then you don't comply with the rules of this offer.

So if you are one of those folks that are bending the rules to get Action pack?

Don't.

Stop it.

You'll screw it up for those of us who are legal.