Making Copies -- From A Computer Security Professional

Let me start by saying that I wish that copying DVDs and other copyrighted works were legal. I have a two year old and he LOVES his DVDs. Problem is that he has recently discovered that they make great flying discs...

As aspiring and current business owners, I strongly encourage you to comply with copyright laws and licensing agreements to the letter. We all know that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is bringing lawsuits against people that file share movies and that a company that sold software to copy commercial copy-protected DVDs was recently forced out of business due to legal issues. If you also use your business computer for personal use and copy DVDs in a manner inconsistent with existing copyright laws and license agreements, you run the risk (no matter how large or how small) of having your computer and all associated equipment -- including on-site backups -- confiscated should you ever be accused (not even convicted) of illegally copying materials via your computer. How hard would it be to build your business without your computers and data?

The same goes for software. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) -- which is supported by many of the larger software companies (like Microsoft and Adobe) -- is extremely successful in bringing legal action against companies with illegally installed software on their computers. And their number one source of "tips" are disgrunted individuals, be they ex-employees, ex-spouses, etc. And yes, your computers might also be seized as evidence should you show up on the BSA radar. And on a side note, I encourage everyone to keep track of the licenses for all software installed on your computer so that you can easily "prove" that you are "clean". Your computers and software are business assets and should be managed as such.

So here's some advice from a certified computer security professional:

1. Find out the laws regarding copying anything before you copy it (and your lawyer is your best choice in this matter).

2. Beyond the law, keep in mind that a license agreement may further restrict your permission to make a legal copy.

3. Choose your business advisors carefully. The people that tell you how to do something illegal won't be around when the law comes knocking at your front door.

The best advice to fight back? Don't buy the stuff in the first place and don't go to movies. It is my personal (not professional) opinion that one-sided license agreements, such as the ones that you find with commercial software and DVDs, are heavy-handed and designed to simply make more money for the publishers. While I strongly support the rights of intellectual property holders and strongly condone the illegal distribution of anything copyrighted, I would like to see laws and license agreements relaxed to the point where you could make personal backups of materials without risking legal action.

In the meantime, the makers of the "Thomas The Tank Engine" series will get rich off of me, but that's about it!