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So, I've posted before about the issues surrounding the db provider our company uses. The court case where the judges smacked down the lawyer for our software company for deigning to claim that their database is locked in by a license that precludes the public right to access information (as provided in our state constitution).
The judges found their arguments specious and absurd. I had last posted because their was an e-mail sent out by the programmers that we needed permission from them before giving out this database. I knew that this was wrong, and clearly violated the spirit, if not the letter of the law.
However, now even more ominously, with the latest update (as I found out today), they now have a registration procedure that registers not only a given workstation (as has always been the case), but the database itself. When I asked what that tab was, she explained it to me (and once she mentioned "license" and "giving out the database" I knew what she was on about... I however, acted stupid, asking questions... partially because I knew the deal with the court case, but also, because I wanted to see if there was any sort of justification or loophole they had that could either be a legitimate argument for their actions, or a reason to "get around" their registration of said data... this data registration, it should be noted, only applies to those users who don't have a licensed copy of the software (in clear violation of the courts ruling))
So, now that it's not only a "you need to talk to us" but a "we have code that is directly preventing you from giving this data out without prior authorization", I think I definitely need to find someone who'll bring this issue to case. However, I've written both to EFF and Lawrence Lessig, with no reply from either. I'm gonna write to Cory Doctorow as he is on the board of EFF and he seems open to listening to fellow people. I can't just submit it to boingboing, however... it needs to be a private thing. If the EFF can't take the case up, I mostly just need advice on where I can find a local attorney (pro-bono, natch) who'll lay the smack down.
Cuz this really pisses me off...
The judges found their arguments specious and absurd. I had last posted because their was an e-mail sent out by the programmers that we needed permission from them before giving out this database. I knew that this was wrong, and clearly violated the spirit, if not the letter of the law.
However, now even more ominously, with the latest update (as I found out today), they now have a registration procedure that registers not only a given workstation (as has always been the case), but the database itself. When I asked what that tab was, she explained it to me (and once she mentioned "license" and "giving out the database" I knew what she was on about... I however, acted stupid, asking questions... partially because I knew the deal with the court case, but also, because I wanted to see if there was any sort of justification or loophole they had that could either be a legitimate argument for their actions, or a reason to "get around" their registration of said data... this data registration, it should be noted, only applies to those users who don't have a licensed copy of the software (in clear violation of the courts ruling))
So, now that it's not only a "you need to talk to us" but a "we have code that is directly preventing you from giving this data out without prior authorization", I think I definitely need to find someone who'll bring this issue to case. However, I've written both to EFF and Lawrence Lessig, with no reply from either. I'm gonna write to Cory Doctorow as he is on the board of EFF and he seems open to listening to fellow people. I can't just submit it to boingboing, however... it needs to be a private thing. If the EFF can't take the case up, I mostly just need advice on where I can find a local attorney (pro-bono, natch) who'll lay the smack down.
Cuz this really pisses me off...
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