It’s A Wonderful Life, Really

What’s a typical workday at the FCPA Blog look like? You know the routine. Up by noon, pop over to the neighborhood brasserie for a crème bouffée or two (pictured left), then feed the pigeons and goldfish. After a nap we’re ready to check the mail. . . . . OK, that’s not quite our typical day. But it’s true that the mailbag is always a highlight. Here, for example, is a verbatim exchange from yesterday. It reveals, we think, some familiar hallmarks of the decent but over-worked compliance community (which is why we’ve changed the names):

Dear Sir –

Thank you so much for your FCPA Blog – it is absolutely the best. I am a lawyer for an oilfield services company.

Now my confession – Your “Bribery Abroad” book is fantastic because it is easy to read and very interesting – not the usual dry, academic writing. Unfortunately for me, I discovered your book the day before a training session to be conducted by my group in the UK, and I made 100 copies of it. I apologize, but I felt it was an extremely important tool for the training.

May I please pay you the 12.95 for each of the 100 books I printed and have a license to cover those copies?

In addition, I need to order quite a few more.

Thanks again for your extremely valuable service in this very difficult area. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Sally Anderson
Houston
Worldwide Oilfield Services Co.

And our reply . . . .

Dear Sally,

Thanks for your kind note and your confession, both of which are good news.

Since the blog and the book are intended to help people comply with the FCPA, and that was your purpose too, how about this as a solution.

I grant you a license for the 100 copies already made; in return, you simply agree to place traditional orders for enough printed books to meet your future needs (and perhaps to keep a few extra copies on hand just in case).

If that works for you, it will also work for me.

Thanks again.

All the best,

The FCPA Blog