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Rob Beard wrote: > Quoting Neil Winchurst <neil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>: > > >> Anyone heard of FAST, the Federation Against Software Theft? I have >> known about it for years. It appears that there are some new laws now >> giving it more powers of search etc., and the penalties can be pretty >> awful. >> >> Seems to me to be a great reason for businesses to use Linux instead of >> Windows. Or am I missing something here? >> >> Neil Winchurst >> >> > > I remember the adverts they had in computer magazines in the late > 80's/early 90's. One in particular I remember was about a bloke > called Bloggo who had a market stall selling dodgy copies of games. I > also remember a great spoof called 'Bloggo's Revenge' where Bloggo got > revenge on the kid who reported him. > > Seriously though, this is something that the Business Software > Alliance have been trying to clamp down on for years, question is, do > the BSA legally have the right to come into a business and ask for > proof of original software? I get the feeling that I read somewhere > that they haven't got that right, but get stroppy if you don't let > them in. > > Rob > > > > > > As far as I'm aware they would not have a statutory right of entry to your home or business. Unless the law has changed as it frequently does they can only enter if they have a warrant issued by a magistrate. The police of course can enter , that goes without saying. In fact , if any one enters your property being it business or residential and you ask them to leave, if they fail to do so having given them opportunity to do so they then become trespassers. You have the legal right to evict them, with the use of "reasonable force". This obviously excludes police and those in possession of a properly executed warrant. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html