Conservative Libertarian Outpost

BATFE Adds Theft To Its Crimes
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Friday, October 17, 2008

Coloseum Software Corporation has developed software that will help dealers
record all of the information that is unconstitutionally required by the
federal government — and to keep that information in a way that insulates
them from bogus prosecutions at the hands of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives (aka The Gang).

The document that is most often involved in “gotcha”
injustices is the Form
4473 which all customers must fill out when buying from a licensed federal
firearms dealer — a requirement that is yet another unconstitutional
imposition by the feds.

One of the favorite tricks of the BATFE has been to pounce on trivial
customer errors such as writing “Blto” instead of
“Baltimore” on the 4473
Form. One dealer supposedly showed his willfulness in breaking the law when
his clerks missed some sixty-plus instances when customers tried to
“sneak”
Blto past those eagle-eyed inspectors from The Gang.

While this does nothing to fight crime, it has allowed The Gang to reduce
the ranks of dealers by some 85 percent since the Clinton presidency.

The genius of Coloseum’s software is that it allows a dealer to walk a
customer through the Form 4473 without making a single mistake. With an
electronic signature, the computer’s form can be printed, providing a
perfect 4473 available for The Gang to inspect.

A foolproof way of filling out the 4473 would reduce the number of dealers
put out of business. That’s the advantage of using the Coloseum software.

So Coloseum approached the BATFE several months ago to discuss its plans to
release the first eForm 4473. The company wanted to make sure that it was
complying with all applicable federal laws and get the agency’s approval for
the product.

The BATFE wanted to see the details of the program, which left the directors
at Coloseum a bit hesitant, as companies are reticent to expose the details
of a product before it’s released to the market place.

No problem, Coloseum was told. The agency would protect the details of
their product.

Well, that was a lie.

The Gang assigned a liaison, Ms. Melinda Whitworth, to work with Coloseum.
She dealt with the company for several weeks, asking many detailed
questions. Again, Coloseum was led to believe that, if they worked with Ms.
Whitworth, they would get approval for their product.

Well, one of the Gang’s representatives called for a meeting with Coloseum
— a meeting which took place earlier this month. It was at that meeting
that Coloseum was told by an ATF agent that, “The BATF is in the
process of
creating our own technologies.”

Coloseum asked for clarification — did that mean that BATFE was developing
its own software, similar to Coloseum’s? “Yes” was the response.

James LaMonte, the CEO and founder of Coloseum Software Corp. was
dumbfounded. “As a small business owner, I never would have thought that
our biggest competition was the United States Government,” he told Gun
Owners of America.

After all, the IRS does not publish a “government version” of
Turbo Tax.
It’s private companies that produce such products for public use. The Gang,
as it is so apt to do, was once again trampling on the little guy.

Oh, and what about their “liaison,” Ms. Whitworth? At the
recent meeting,
Coloseum found that Ms. Whitworth — who was supposedly helping the company
get ATF approval of its software — was in charge of the team that is
developing the copycat software at ATF.

Ms. Whitworth even had the effrontery to apologize for not having developed
a product as good as Coloseum’s.

Here is the bottom line. If The Gang gets their software out to dealers
(probably for “free”) before Coloseum gets to market, then
the government’s
stolen version of the software is public domain. No one would ever need to
buy Coloseum’s intellectual property.

Coloseum is sending a free copy of its product to dealers so they can
install the software on their store computer. If dealers need additional
copies for a second or third computer, they can buy additional copies, as
well. Hopefully, dealers will pounce on this opportunity.

What Coloseum is doing is unprecedented. And so, it seems, is the blatant
thievery brazenly carried out by The Gang.

If dealers decide they just want to use the Bureau’s software, they should
first consider that they will be getting a much inferior product. Moreover,
The Gang’s software means that the government will have unrestricted access
to all of the dealer’s business records because it will allow
“back door”
access by the ATF. This kind of untrammeled access of all dealer records
would not be possible with Coloseum Software.

It is long overdue that President Bush clean house at the BATFE. He needs
to fire the Acting Director of the Bureau and command that employees destroy
their stolen property.

ACTION: Please send the email message below, urging the President to rein
in the BATFE.

You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send the President the pre-written
message below. You can also contact the President using any of the
following mediums:

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov

—- Pre-written letter —-

Dear President Bush,

Gun Owners of America has told me of the outrageous theft of intellectual
property that has been perpetrated by the BATFE against Coloseum Software
Corp.

Please fire Acting Director Michael Sullivan and command the Bureau to
destroy all copies of their stolen software.

The BATFE is an agency out of control. Please take charge and rein them in.

Sincerely,