Should I bother with this?

ppshay

I've been contacted by email by Microsoft once a month since January asking to complete a software licences form (see attached).

The last two emails:

Hi xxxx,

We are yet to receive a response from you with regards to this SAM review.

Microsoft’s next step is to escalate, because of no response. This communication will be sent within 48 hours of this mail if no communication is received in advance.

Microsoft reserves the right to protect its intellectual property rights at all times.

Regards,

MS Person Name | Compliance Specialist (SAM)

E: person@microsoft.com

T: +353 1 279 7531

A: Microsoft Ireland | The Atrium Building, Block B | Carmanhall Road | Sandyford Industrial Estate | D18


From: Person (Manpower)
Sent: 17 April 2013 14:58
To: 'me@mycompany.ie'
Subject: RE: Microsoft SAM review
Importance: High


Hi xxxx,

We have been asked to update John O´Doherty, the Anti-Piracy Lead, Microsoft Ireland, with the status of the review.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could please provide an update by the end of the week so we can communicate this.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks.

MS Person Name | Compliance Specialist (SAM)

Will they bust in the door at dawn some day?

jamesd

Yes best to do it, I did one recently.

BaconZombie

Call Microsoft direct, get the number from there site or some other listing except on in the email or attachment and double check it is valid before you do anything else.


Edit:

Looks like the attached file does not have any detectable bad stuff in it, that does not mean it is safe or that the person you are sending it to really works for MS.

SHA256: 95d2ad26f3c5b59df59c163748918f1e3e0f9e54b04ba812a8b8fb415c540d7f
SHA1: 678c81dfc8b5ae0ac1daa133c74ac8b23deabfb9
MD5: 9501c1a7c2275547620af225fb8166ef
File size: 278.0 KB ( 284672 bytes )
File name: VIRUS_Deployment Summary Template.xls
File type: MS Excel Spreadsheet
Detection ratio: 0 / 45
Analysis date: 2013-06-06 21:41:06 UTC ( 4 minutes ago )
0 0

File identification
MD5 9501c1a7c2275547620af225fb8166ef
SHA1 678c81dfc8b5ae0ac1daa133c74ac8b23deabfb9
SHA256 95d2ad26f3c5b59df59c163748918f1e3e0f9e54b04ba812a8b8fb415c540d7f
ssdeep3072:7d20iW1Y2xLUEIz69adZcv78Y+W/PGmLQelxy4UVybbDTFnob4XJJz7nzJQy5X:s0iW1Y2xLUf69ad7Y/5JUVuNoAJnWs
File size 278.0 KB ( 284672 bytes )
File type MS Excel Spreadsheet
Magic literalCDF V2 Document, Little Endian, Os: Windows, Version 5.1, Code page: 1252, Author: Accordo Group Limited, Last Saved By: Administrator, Name of Creating Application: Microsoft Excel, Last Printed: Wed Mar 23 22:57:36 2011, Create Time/Date: Wed Oct 09 00:04:17 2002, Last Saved Time/Date: Wed Jun 05 16:03:10 2013, Security: 0
TrID Microsoft Excel sheet (78.9%)
Generic OLE2 / Multistream Compound File (21.0%)
VirusTotal metadata
First submission 2013-06-06 21:41:06 UTC ( 15 minutes ago )
Last submission 2013-06-06 21:41:06 UTC ( 15 minutes ago )
File names VIRUS_Deployment Summary Template.xls
ExifTool file metadata
MIMETypeapplication/vnd.ms-excel
CompanyAccordo Group Limited
ModifyDate2013:06:06 16:03:10
TitleOfPartsDeployment Summary
SharedDocNo
AuthorAccordo Group Limited
CodePageWindows Latin 1 (Western European)
AppVersion9.3821
LinksUpToDateNo
ScaleCropNo
LastModifiedByAdministrator
HeadingPairs[u'Worksheets', 1]
HyperlinksChangedNo
CreateDate2002:10:10 00:04:17
LastPrinted2011:03:24 22:57:36
SecurityNone
FileTypeXLS
SoftwareMicrosoft Excel

n0brain3r

The Microsoft compliance team have been coming down hard lately I know of at least 5 businesses that have been audited in the past 18 months. I've assisted with a number of these and a prompt response on your part will reduce the chance of a more thorough audit. One of the companies I dealt with paid in excess €20k settlement after fobbing them off for too long and having them scrutinize their licensing compliance.

aberry

i spent allot of time filling in this info and checking my licences verses computers and submitted the spreadsheet to the MS compliance officer. That was eight weeks ago but i have not heard anything back!
i tried calling the number that was given to me and i just get a message machine, ive also emailed several times.
Does anyone know if i get a compliance certificate or anything to prove my compliance?

pingpipe

They probably won't "bust down the door", but if you don't pay the licensing fees for their software there is a very good chance that they would at least sue you. Microsoft takes things like this very seriously, it would definitely be in your best interest to pay the fee(s). It's really not worth potentially being "made an example of what could happen".