> What prevents three-letter agencies from using software without paying for it?
Nothing, but they'd have to rationalize it. As an organization they need to tell themselves why they are doing it, if it is going to happen officially. So someone has to write "disable licensing..." in the setup instructions. And while killing and other things can be rationalized ("War on Terror, etc...") some petty stuff in comparison like breaking IDA Pro's licensing paradoxically might be harder.
Another thing is that on the surface at least, people who are hired have to pass polygraph tests and have to reveal if they committed crimes or stole things etc. It used to be that NSA would reject people who admitted to pirating software or music in the past. So they'd have to solve that "inconsistency".
Another reason is well, they that could get sued. The military and other government offices have been sued by software makers in the past so it's not outrageous as it seems:
Despite what some folks claim, the three letter agencies don't break the law. They have lawyers and general council, and bend over backwards not to do anything illegal. This is not to say that the law is always sensible, moral, or interpreted the way an average individual might interpret the law.
Imagine if the police could walk up to you in any situation and demand that you prove the legality of any part of whatever it is that you are (or are not) doing.
Nothing, but they'd have to rationalize it. As an organization they need to tell themselves why they are doing it, if it is going to happen officially. So someone has to write "disable licensing..." in the setup instructions. And while killing and other things can be rationalized ("War on Terror, etc...") some petty stuff in comparison like breaking IDA Pro's licensing paradoxically might be harder.
Another thing is that on the surface at least, people who are hired have to pass polygraph tests and have to reveal if they committed crimes or stole things etc. It used to be that NSA would reject people who admitted to pirating software or music in the past. So they'd have to solve that "inconsistency".
Another reason is well, they that could get sued. The military and other government offices have been sued by software makers in the past so it's not outrageous as it seems:
https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-caught-pirating-military-softwa...