‘logic bomb’ fine of up to $250,000, up to 10 years in prison

I was made aware of a sparky that had done something similar on a mine site prior to my arrival, were using a timer he had set up a open circuit on motors, he would get called out out what ever time he had set it at (of course not to late as he didn't want to be woken up) then remove the timer and at some stage put it on another piece of equipment when he wanted more money from a call out. Like the other guy he got caught because he had left the timer in and forgot about it and left site on his break, another sparky got called in and found the timer and the sparky had a long break from that site.
 
The sad thing about this is that in my experience, just doing quality work gets you more business than you can shake a stick at.
 
I came across one that took years to trigger.
The original author had not thought it through properly.

At first I thought it was just a programming error and I corrected it.
I then came across it in a different machine but made by the same company.

It worked on a negative figure in a data register. If the operative manually wound out a helical wire that had gone wrong, a down counter would eventually put a minus figure in the register.
But the operatives never fully wound them out - they repaired them where they could get to it.
Then one day, years after it was installed, they did and the machine locked out.

The negative figure set a retained coil. It wasn't quite as simple as that as he had used lots of jumps in the program making it nearly impossible to trace what was happening.

I took it out and then found the same method in another machine.

The company has long gone and the mystery author is unknown but I still get calls from other companies that have the same machine to unlock them.
 
This boils down to 2 different things:


1. Putting in logic that makes the PLC run for a temporary period until contract conditions are met. If this is clearly put in the contract that it is a temporary license or trial program that is legal.


2. Sabotage - plain and simply - and if for extra income to show up and 'fix the problem, that is even more legal trouble.


Be very upfront with #1, avoid #2 because it's your reputation, credibility, finances and possibly freedom that will pay.
 
I have a collection of iPads that cease to function after a few years, not because there is anything wrong with them, but because Apple insists on making the apps incompatible with older iOS versions, and they stop releasing updates in iOS for older iPads. Nobody seems to be suing them...
 
I think he got off easy.


My guess was the fine would have a couple more zeros, and that would be on him until Siemen's seizes his estate.

That is just the criminal fine. Siemens could be going after him also with a civil. But yes even the criminal fine is pretty low.
 
That is just the criminal fine. Siemens could be going after him also with a civil. But yes even the criminal fine is pretty low.

I think the money was trivial. The case was brought to trial to prove the point that Siemens will prosecute this type of case.

Heck, he made more from the contracts to come back and fix the problem than the fine was .. but he had to pay a lawyer, show up in court, etc. That had to cost way more than the fine?

I'm in Canada .. not sure how the courts and costs work here, much less there!
 
I think you guy's fail to recognize the jail term involved, and the fact that he may not be able to get a job for a long time.


Unless you have money and family/friends on the outside to help out with your affairs, 90 days is the beginning of loosing everything, 6 months, it's gone!
 
I don't know about Pennsy, but in Michigan the jails are so overcrowded that people getting up to a year are sometimes released within weeks, or even that week.


Also, no employer can ask about jail time in Michigan, only felony prison time - and only in the past 7 (or 10) years.



He will be out, free, pay off that slap-on-the-wrist fine and be back programming controls within a year. And, the way Karma actually works, probably a higher pay rate and better benefits.


Personally I think Siemens's should go after him for a couple million and a court ordered change of career.
 

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