In this thread, I want to explore people's decision-making.
I found this article to be very interesting and provoked all sorts of fascinating questions, hence, "What Would You Do?".
Quote:
CNN.com
Gorbachev to Gates: Show software 'pirate' mercy
MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Monday asked Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to intercede on behalf of a Russian teacher accused of using pirated software in his classroom.
In an open letter, Nobel Peace Prize winner Gorbachev said the teacher, Alexander Ponosov, from a remote village in the Urals, should be shown mercy because he did not know he was committing a crime.
"A teacher, who has dedicated his life to the education of children and who receives a modest salary that does not bear comparison with the salaries of even regular staff in your company, is threatened with detention in Siberian prison camps," read the letter, posted on the Internet site of Gorbachev's charitable foundation www.gorby.ru.
"We have great respect for the work of Microsoft's programmers ... and are in no way casting doubt on the principle of punishment for intellectual property violations.
"However, in this case we ask you to show mercy and withdraw your complaint against Alexander Ponosov," the letter read.
"This noble step will be enthusiastically received by all those in Russia who use Microsoft products."
Prosecutors accuse Ponosov, headmaster of a middle school in the Perm region, of violating Microsoft's intellectual property rules by using computers in his school that contained unlicensed copies of the firm's software.
Russia has been mounting a high-profile crackdown on piracy as part of its efforts to join the World Trade Organization.
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Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/02/05/g...eut/index.html
So, then, "What would you do?"
1. Do you think: too bad, the law is the law. You have to send him a message, he must be punished for his crime/tort in accordance to the law and the complaint filed against him by Microsoft. Otherwise this will just open up a can of "bad precedent".
2. Well, there's the letter of the law and then there's the spirit of the law. Surely there's room for a little leniency and flexibility? Why not have the teacher apologize for his unintentional offense, uninstall all the "pirated" software, and then have Gorby buy legit copies for the school.
3. There's an opportunity here isn't there for Bill Gates and Microsoft to get some positive "feel good" publicity. Exploit this for some do-goody action. Give the teacher a break, donate some legit copies, reiterate how education in Russia and Microsoft can work together towards a brighter future and it is in line with the objectives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
4. Steve Jobs beats him to it and donates a bunch of iMacs, software, iPods to the poor little Russian school picked on by the big corporation. Big photo op with all the lil' childrens beaming at the camera, proudly holding their shiny, stylish Apple products. Pixar buys the rights to the story and an animated feature is released in Fall 2008, in time for back to school.
5. Other
What do you think? What would you do?