[rescue] BIOS update for Sun Fire v40z?

[hike]

On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 10:21 PM, Bill Green <bill at supposedly.org> wrote:

> On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 12:51:32AM +0300, gsm at mendelson.com wrote:
> > On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 05:26:45PM -0400, der Mouse wrote:
> > >Um, no.  Copyright violation is not theft.  (Admittedly, this deserves
> > >to be said in response to both of the above quotes.)
> >
> > It depends upon where you are, Canadian law is different than US law. I
> was
> > talking about US law. You are in Canada, which has different laws.
> >
> > In the US copyright violation is both a criminal and civil offense.
> >
>
> That's not quite true. In the US, only 1) infringement for financial gain
> 2) unauthorized reproduction
> of works having a retail value of more than $1000 and 3) distribution of
> unreleased
> works are criminal offenses. See
> http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#506
> _______________________________________________
> rescue list - http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue
>


So the value of an Oracle supplied service contract may make unauthorized
use of the firmware "stealing" officially.  Not knowing the retail cost of
the particular Sun server, it is hard to determine if it meets the $ limit.
 The service contract for the v440s that we use would put the value over the
$ limit.  Plus there is the charge of "petty theft" that could apply in
various jurisdictions--I assume this is a misdemeanor charge and resides on
one's permanent record (according to Law & Order).

The average news reporter sees little difference between "stealing" and
"copyright infringement".  I suspect the average citizen sees even less; I
know that my mangers haven't the foggiest that there is a difference.