BSA penalises unlicensed software users

Three cases of the unlicensed use of software programs have been settled by BSA, with damages totalling $58,000.

The software programs were owned by BSA members Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft, involving the breach of copyright law.

Meldan, a company trading as Granvue Homes, has paid $35,000 in damages for the use of unlicensed software, following an audit.

Sosan was found to be using Autodesk Building Design Suite in excess of its licence entitlements. As well as paying damages of $18,000, Sosan has purchased the necessary licences to legalise ongoing software deployments.

Finally, R King Enterprises (Mocare) was found to be using an unauthorised copy of Microsoft Server software. Mocare paid $5000 for this infringement and is in the process of purchasing legitimate software licences.

Victoria has experienced a record number of settlements during 2014 and 2015, above any other state, which indicates an increase in Victorian business accountability in 2016 for software compliance.

“It is important for the Australian economy that unlicensed software be discouraged and infringing businesses be held accountable, particularly with the growing trend in illegal cyber activity,” said Tarun Sawney, senior director of Asia–Pacific.

“Unlicensed software not only compromises security and puts customer information at risk, it can also result in financial losses for the business as information can be intercepted and repurposed for others’ financial gain. Not to mention the impact to the reputation of the organisation, business and its employees during any legal proceedings.”

To ensure ongoing software compliance, each business has also agreed to undertake regular software audits, which will be reported to BSA.

“We urge all businesses, whether large or small, to conduct regular checks of software licences and deployments, and implement an effective software asset management practice,” said Sawney.

“A sound software asset management program with regular IT audits will ensure that businesses can avoid the damaging consequences of using unlicensed software and get the best return on investment from their software licence purchases.”

The BSA is offering up to $20,000 to eligible recipients who disclose accurate information regarding unlawful copying or use of the BSA members’ software. Potential recipients must provide assistance and evidence to support the information, as may be required by the BSA’s legal advisers, in connection with any claim or legal proceedings initiated by the BSA members.

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