Published on the 21/01/2010 | Written by Newsdesk
Piracy watchdog the Business Software Alliance reveals what it calls “the real cost of using illegal or pirated software”…
In a bid to “demonstrate that the unlicensed use of software does not pay,” the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has released the figure of its total settlements with 12 companies that were caught using illegal or unlicensed software in Australia in 2009.
The total amount comes to $331,678 in settlements, an increase from A$239,405 in 2008.
The BSA also reports it received a record number of 95 leads about businesses using unlicensed or pirated software in 2009 – a significant rise from the 44 leads reported in 2008.
While all cases handled by the BSA were settled out of court, the consequences of getting caught using illegal software in Australia must not be taken lightly, the alliance says. The two highest individual settlement amounts in 2009 were for $90,000 and $85,000 each, and each of the 2009 settlements led to damages bills in the thousands of dollars.
On top of these settlement bills, as part of the settlement, each business caught out also had to purchase valid licences for its continuing or future use of BSA member software products.
The companies involved have also agreed to now implement proper software asset management (SAM) procedures to reduce the risk of future software copyright infringement.
Last year, the BSA handled claims on behalf of its member companies against Australian companies from a range of industries, including architecture, electrical engineering, electricians, construction engineering, gaming, printing, design and the media.
