Comments on: EMC Threatens StorageMojo

By: tiger

tiger — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:12:38 +0000

just read this, dated last month, on macintouch.com:

Jul. 8, 2008

Jonathan Nichols

Mozy? AWFUL. I had an account with them earlier this year for two computers, and cancelled it. They didn’t even offer me a refund which further infuriated me since the product never worked on one of the machines.

* They had me trying out beta builds and sending them logfiles. I was paying for the ‘privilege’ of helping them test software, and it was continually failing and not backing up data.

* Recovers failed.

* Their technical support was utterly worthless. After complaining about them and asking for the issue to be escalated (it never was) I received the following in an email. “Sorry for the trouble. Would you send me your MozyHome log file? It should be at C:\Program Files\MozyHome\Data\Mozy.log.” Same ticket number, same issue. They very obviously don’t bother to read the trouble tickets or even queue them properly. (I do not have a Windows machine!)

* I kept getting the same generic “uninstall & reinstall” song and dance. (Ticket #t9057519380132 in case anyone from Mozy reads this)

This issue went on for about 2 months before I gave up and cancelled.

Mozy & their support: F-

By: Robin Harris

Robin Harris — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 16:14:30 +0000

All,

Thank you for your support. I’m reminded of a New Yorker cartoon where a lawyer is talking to a potential client: “You’ve got a good case. How much justice can you afford?” Now it looks like I won’t have to figure that out.

Vic, EMC’s lawyer didn’t claim copyright protection, because, I think, information per se can’t be copyrighted. So the fact that a company prices something at $10 isn’t copyright protected. I learned more about this stuff than I wanted to in the last week.

Robin

By: Vic

Vic — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:38:51 +0000

I believe looking at the law; EMC can state it is “copyrighted”. This is because you can copyright just about anything. But the law does state a few things that may allow you to keep it posted.
107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
http://uscode.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_00000107—-000-.html
But, since you are not posting this for profit or gain. I would also say it is educational, training or research – FAIR USAGE

The fact that EMC post it on there own public site, speaks volumes about a company that “can help you be Compliant”, if in fact these are trade secrets.

Bottom line.
At worse case you could remove it from your site and just link right to EMC

Thanks for all the great work you do.

By: billh

billh — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:43:04 +0000

Welllll, there they go again! Seems to me that a company who has secret pricing has something to hide; excessively high or gouging prices, for example. If it is readily available on a legal web search, it is foolish to think it is protected as a trade secret or anything other form of cloaking. EMC should take a hike!

By: Ted

Ted — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:47:39 +0000

Great response.

If one changes the last two letters in the ULR http://www.emc.com/sales/stateoffl/ to NY or CT, you will be taken to that state’s EMC pricing information site as well, where you can find more price lists.

Seems like Mr. Clark needs to spend a little more time investigating things before he opens his uninformed mouth.

I for one will go out of my way NOT to use EMC.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:04:23 +0000

EMC is well known for bully tactics – I ended up with their product after awarding a bid to a competitor – then EMC came in and threatened to pull their business from my company unless we bought their stuff. Then to add insult to injury their equipment crashed and lost data on me! Fun guys to deal with…

By: IO Guy

IO Guy — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 08:32:27 +0000

Looks like it’s back to the Evil Machine Company of 10 years ago.

If you really want to get more lawsuit threats, set up a blog thread on EMC benchmarks.

Good stuff and will be looking for Tucci’s apology.

By: anon

anon — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:45:21 +0000

another reason to stay away from emc….

By: Damien Stevens

Damien Stevens — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:03:10 +0000

Robin – Way to go! Don’t let the BigCo push you around.

I think you presented a fair and articulate response.

By: mike

mike — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:54:16 +0000

Time is money – Sometimes defending the ideals of free and open markets takes both.

By: jelloknee

jelloknee — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 10:41:05 +0000

I too have found the EMC Centera price list freely available on the web. You have to love a company that tries to hide its price list.

Don’t let the bstrds get you down Robin.

By: sho

sho — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 05:12:49 +0000

Well written. Glad to see you standing up to this foolishness.

I am a customer of EMC, via VMWare. I am disappointed to see them embarrass themselves in this matter, and contribute to the debasement of the very principle of “trade secret” in a misguided attempt to preserve some illusory benefit of customers not being able to easily check their prices. What could they possibly be thinking?

EMC: drop these childish antics and apologise. And then give this matter, and your own actions, some serious thought. When your company sinks to the level of harrassing thoughtful, fair, independent websites like StorageMojo – in a foolish attempt to stop customers being able to find out your prices (!) – you know you’ve gone fundamentally wrong somewhere.

Quit with the silly lawyer games and try to win in the market the proper way – by having the best solutions at the best prices, and delivering value to your customers. This sort of charade just fritters away your goodwill, and the lawyering mindset will corrupt you from the inside.