IN SUMMARY - Australia, New South Wales – Ironically, the police are being accused of massive software piracy involving its criminal intelligence database. This comes just a few years after computers of the South Australian police force’s IT branch were found to contain hundreds of pirated movies.
The software in question, ViewNow, is developed by the UK Company Micro Focus. Despite the fact that the company licensed its software to the police in the past, it’s been discovered that police are (or were) using thousands of unauthorized copies.
The police also shared the software with third parties such as the Ombudsman’s Office, the Department of Correctives Services and the Police Integrity Commission without permission from the software company.
In an attempt to get compensated for several years’ worth of mass piracy, Micro Focus has filed a lawsuit in which it’s demanding more than $10 million in damages. Micro Focus’ managing director Bruce Craig says they saw no other option than to sue, as they can’t go to the police. “When someone pirates your software you think who am I gonna call, the police? In this case, they’re the pirates,”
Micro Focus states that the NSW police force had licenses to install ViewNow on up to 6,500 computers – more than 16,000 copies were installed.
“The licenses were for police only. Yet police were out there handing out our software like confetti,” Craig says. “They did not pay for those extra licenses. It’s incredible. It shows an organization that’s completely out of control.” – Hear, hear!
The police have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees – and the case is yet to begin! Oh, and guess who is paying for these legal fees? Australian tax payers are of course! Proof that they are thieving pricks in many forms.
