By Nick Heath, 7 February 2008 15:52
NEWS
A piracy crackdown is to target companies in Glasgow after the city was pinpointed as being a hotspot for illegal software.
Security from A to Z
Click on the links below to find out more...
A is for Antivirus
B is for Botnets
C is for CMA
D is for DDoS
E is for Extradition
F is for Federated identity
G is for Google
H is for Hackers
I is for IM
J is for Jaschan (Sven)
K is for Kids
L is for Love Bug
M is for Microsoft
N is for Neologisms
O is for Orange
P is for Passwords
Q is for Questions
R is for Rootkits
S is for Spyware
T is for Two-factor authentication
U is for USB sticks/devices
V is for Virus variants
W is for Wi-fi
X is for OS X
Y is for You
Z is for Zero-day
Hundreds of businesses in the city escaped punishment during a 30-day amnesty last November on unlicensed software by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an anti-software-piracy group.
But now the BSA is investigating 41 firms after a 20-fold increase in reports of alleged piracy in the city during the amnesty.
The businesses, ranging from media companies to architects, face the threat of costly legal action and having to buy licensed software if they fail to convince the BSA they are operating legally.
Glasgow was targeted after the BSA received more reports of software piracy within businesses there than any other city across the UK, outside Greater London.
Further regional crackdowns are planned across the UK, with Manchester the next stop early this year.
Julie Strawson, chairman of the BSA in the UK, said in a statement: "We have just scratched the surface here, with anything like this you have to remember you can not just change the situation overnight. The main emphasis of the campaign was education around the risks of using illegal software."
She added: "Those businesses that have ignored warnings and are flouting software licensing laws will now face the consequences of failing to take this issue seriously."
Strawson said future crackdowns will pick up on the many creative companies inadvertently breaking the law by using unlicensed fonts.
Mohammad Sarwar, MP for Glasgow Central, said in a statement: "Glasgow's poor software piracy record threatens the city's economic stability as well as damaging its reputation."
During the amnesty companies were given a chance to carry out a full software audit and given advice over their software management.
The BSA warned that using unlicensed software also risks loss or corruption of vital data and IT systems, citing research by the IDC that revealed one in three counterfeit products contain spyware, malware or viruses.
Comments
There are 2 comments. Join the discussion
1. Alan Lewis
What trite is this? Certainly not the high standard of reporting one expects from silicon.com.
"Hundreds of businesses in the city escaped punishment during a 30-day amnesty last November on unlicensed software by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an anti-software-piracy group."
They escaped punishment, did they? Punished by whom? The courts? The legal system was never involved in the first place, so there was never any threat of punishment.
"The businesses, ranging from media companies to architects, face the threat of costly legal action and having to buy licensed software if they fail to convince the BSA they are operating legally."
No one has to convince the BSA of anything. They have no more statutory legal authority than any other private individual or company. The BSA courses of action are to report any company suspected of "piracy" to the police, and then hence to the CPS, and without any evidence the police will not investigate nor will the CPS prosecute. Or, they can bring a civil case. And without evidence a civil case will fail. A "report" of piracy is not evidence. And so how would the BSA gather evidence?
The BSA have no more power of entry than I have. So if they come a calling, one is under no obligation to let them in.
An anton piller order? Will not be granted without evidence to satisfy a judge in the first place. A search warrant? Only granted to the police, and with sufficient evidence.
This is absolutely pathetic, and the press release treated with the contempt it deserved, rather than being sensationalised like this.
I'd expect this level of "reporting" from The Sun, Sport, or National Enquirer. Not silicon.com.
2. Richard Davies
I accept that software piracy is a problem, but I think that the BSA and its approach needs looking at.
I am a member of FAST (Federation Against Software Theft) and would like nothing more than to go in and audit the BSA themselves.
One thing that I would advise people is that unless you get a letter from the BSA's solicitors, then simply ignore them and do not give them a breakdown of your software etc. as they will use this against you.
In my opinion FAST is the better option if you want to make sure your company is not using pirated software as these guys really are out to help those who don't set out to abuse software licensing.