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Got an email from oracle recently that said (paraphrased): "We saw downloads for virtual box from your IP address but no licenses for your organization. Please

Got an email from oracle recently that said (paraphrased): "We saw downloads for virtual box from your IP address but no licenses for your organization. Please let us know when is a suitable time to meet to explain the benefits of being licensed correctly."

everfrustrated 3y ago
Docker also does this too for their Desktop product. If any dev downloads and installs it within your org expect an email from them to check up on your licensing.
- afandian 3y ago
  Maybe this is what it takes to put paid to return-to-office?
  - rokkitmensch 3y ago
    Except for the common VPN setup. Now, perhaps this is what it takes to put paid to IPV4...
exhilaration 3y ago
Man that's terrifying. Every business with software engineers needs make sure that the the Oracle, MySQL, Java.com, and Virtual Box domains are blocked on their network.
walrus01 3y ago
They have actually been scraping ARIN IP space registration data for this and sending threats to people who hold IP space that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual business end user with a DIA circuit and static /30 that downloaded virtualbox. It's a ridiculous abuse of ARIN WHOIS data. From the point of view of ISPs receiving such threats it is the most preposterous thing ever.
RobotToaster 3y ago
Out of interest, what happens with this sort of thing if you direct them to the reply given in arkell v pressdram?
bluedino 3y ago
The other side of this is having a license for something, but other users at your organization are using it as well, but don't have licenses. The company will then want to meet and discuss licensing, and if that doesn't happen they'll cut your IP addresses off. This is typically something that's free for personal use but requires a license for commercial use. We've ran into this with a few things.
alyandon 3y ago
Going through this at my employer and it's not VirtualBox they are inquiring about. VirtualBox is open source but the VirtualBox Extensions pack that gives useful features (usb passthrough, pxe booting, VM encryption, etc) isn't open source and Oracle changed the licensing around it sometime around 2018 to require payment.
barryrandall 3y ago
Looks like someone at Oracle discovered "customer intent" data.

everfrustrated 3y ago

Docker also does this too for their Desktop product. If any dev downloads and installs it within your org expect an email from them to check up on your licensing.

afandian 3y ago
Maybe this is what it takes to put paid to return-to-office?
- rokkitmensch 3y ago
  Except for the common VPN setup. Now, perhaps this is what it takes to put paid to IPV4...

exhilaration 3y ago

Man that's terrifying. Every business with software engineers needs make sure that the the Oracle, MySQL, Java.com, and Virtual Box domains are blocked on their network.

walrus01 3y ago

They have actually been scraping ARIN IP space registration data for this and sending threats to people who hold IP space that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual business end user with a DIA circuit and static /30 that downloaded virtualbox. It's a ridiculous abuse of ARIN WHOIS data. From the point of view of ISPs receiving such threats it is the most preposterous thing ever.

RobotToaster 3y ago

Out of interest, what happens with this sort of thing if you direct them to the reply given in arkell v pressdram?

bluedino 3y ago

The other side of this is having a license for something, but other users at your organization are using it as well, but don't have licenses. The company will then want to meet and discuss licensing, and if that doesn't happen they'll cut your IP addresses off. This is typically something that's free for personal use but requires a license for commercial use. We've ran into this with a few things.

alyandon 3y ago

Going through this at my employer and it's not VirtualBox they are inquiring about. VirtualBox is open source but the VirtualBox Extensions pack that gives useful features (usb passthrough, pxe booting, VM encryption, etc) isn't open source and Oracle changed the licensing around it sometime around 2018 to require payment.

barryrandall 3y ago

Looks like someone at Oracle discovered "customer intent" data.