'Geek Squad' Software Piracy

Not that I'd use their services, but finding out that they are part of Best Buy makes me even less inclined to seek their services.

Best Buy's aggressively promoted, 24-hour computer support task force Geek Squad has been served with a temporary restraining order barring it from using a popular brand of system restore software, which Best Buy is accused of pirating.

The court order, issued Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks in Austin, Texas, stems from a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Winternals Software LP, makers of ERD Commander 2005, a repair tool that boots a dead computer for system recovery.

I wonder if there is any carry over of liability. Probably not.

Winternals and Best Buy began negotiating an agreement last fall to trial the software. The electronics retail chain broke off negotiations in February because it was no longer interested in a commercial license that Winternals' attorney David Weaver at Vinson & Elkins LLP said costs $1,200 each.

In a statement, Winternals said the license being negotiated was valued at more than several million dollars. The lawsuit claims that Geek Squad employees continued to use Winternals’ software in violation of the U.S. Copyright Act.

Yipe. That's some expensive software. I wonder how it is licensed. Per repaired station? That doesn't make a lot of sense, but maybe that is the market.

I have a feeling someone is going to be paying out a bunch of money.