So open software is great?!?! One word "log4j". Enough said?
Here's some more open software vulerabilities:
Maybe that's enough to scare you.
As far as unlicensed commercial software, there's the legal ramifications. You're young so you didn't go through the massive software license checks that were done like 20 years ago when all big companies had to prove that they had a purchased license for every copy of software on the computer. They're still going on though there is greater complicance now so it's not in the news anymore. Many companies didn't pay for all the copies they had and had to pay huge penalties (basically just buying the software but maybe fines - I don't remember the penalties but it was NOT fun for anyone involved and very costly and time consuming for everyone). John probably remembers that time. The cost was so high and time involved so extensive that companies now tell you that you are not allowed to have unlicensed software on your computer. If the laywers find out, you're toast. It's cheaper to buy the software than try to save a few buck.
No one wants to get a letter from Microsoft:
The High Cost Of Microsoft Audit Penalties
If stress kills, then receiving a notice with the opening line “Your organization has been selected to complete a Microsoft License Verification process” is practically lethal. As unpleasant as software audits are, if you have licenses with heavy-hitting vendors like Microsoft, IBM, and Oracle, it’s likely that software audits and compliance verification are just an unfortunate reality of business. So what are the Microsoft Audit fines and penalties that you could face when you receive an audit request?
The copyright owner may elect to waive actual damages and profits in favor of seeking an award of statutory damages that range from $750 to $30,000 per copyrighted work. If the court finds that the copyright infringement was willful, it can increase the statutory damages to up to $150,000. In sum, an infringer can be found liable for very significant damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs.
Accidental license violations can be expensive
Not only does use of unlicensed software place the infringing company at financial risk, but copyright holders can also seek to impose personal liability against officers and directors of infringing companies when those officers and directors knew of, or encouraged the use of, unlicensed software.
In light of the significant financial risks to a company and its officers and directors, it is critical to have a policy in place that prohibits the use of unlicensed software. The company should review this policy frequently to remind all necessary personnel of the company’s stance on software licensing.
While many companies may already have policies in place that prohibit the use of unlicensed software, those same companies may unknowingly be violating software licensing agreements that apply to socalled “trialware.” Trialware programs allow a user to install a program for a limited period of time, after which the user must either purchase a license for that product or uninstall that product from the computer. These products can result in accidental license violations if there is no follow-up to determine whether a license has been purchased for that product or whether it has been uninstalled. For example, commonly used compression software allows the user to download, install, and use the program for free for 45 days, after which time the user must purchase a license or uninstall it. If the company does not have a policy of tracking software installations and following-up on licensure, that “trialware” software could cause one to accidentally violate the Act.
Did you see the part about officers/leaders of the company personally having substantial financial risk? I'd be shocked if the professor's university was okay with him exposing the university to those kinds of legal judgements.
For more info:
