Xref: utzoo comp.realtime:463 comp.misc:8348 comp.software-eng:2954
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ogicse!emory!mephisto!ncsuvx!news
From: doug@mathel.ncsu.edu (Doug James)
Newsgroups: uk.general,uk.followup,comp.realtime,comp.misc,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Caught in the act of piracy
Summary: How'd they find out?
Message-ID: <1990Feb28.003201.10614@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 28 Feb 90 00:32:01 GMT
References: <1378@Terra.cc.brunel.ac.uk>
Reply-To: doug%mathel@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu (Doug James)
Organization: North Carolina State University
Lines: 16

Someone I know has a pirated copy of an expensive piece of commercial
software.  Today this person received a letter from the company
producing the software.  It was a form letter -- very polite and
understated.  But the main point was clear: "we have reason to believe
you have a copy of our product.  Send us a photocopy of your original
diskette and prove that you are entitled to have it."

I strongly disapprove of pirating software, and am quite vocal about
it.  As a result, I found myself in the uncomfortable position of
feeling like I was suspected of having turned this person's name in
to the company.  I most certainly did not do so.

My question: what mechanism is likely to have triggered such a letter?

                                        --doug james
                                       doug%mathel@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu