Companies are sometimes fielding multiple software audit demands from multiple software vendors simultaneously, which can significantly impact in-house counsel. Software audits may be initiated by publishers or through outside entities such as BSA | The Software Alliance. Audits initiated directly from a software publisher are sometimes presented as a sales offer from the compliance team,…
Software publishers, acting alone, or through a proxy such as the Business Software Alliance (“BSA”) or Software & Information Industry Association (“SIIA”), regularly audit customers or potential customers to ensure license compliance and deter against copyright infringement. For mid-sized or larger companies that employ an in-house or external IT resource to manage software purchases and…
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) hunts down and audits companies when it receives information that those companies may have software products that are not properly licensed. If a company audited by the BSA is found to have more installations of software products than is reflected in its licensing documentation, it is generally more cost effective…
A New Definition of Software Piracy What is software piracy? Like many politically charged phrases, the definition of software piracy is influenced by your financial interests and your viewpoint. The Business Software Alliance defines software piracy as: “The illegal use and/or distribution of software protected under intellectual property laws.” The Business Software Alliance specifically includes…
Michael O’Dwyer, ipswitch, 9/29/16 If you require software licensing tips, don’t expect your software vendors to be of any real help, given the prevalence of outsourced call centers by many of the world’s global players.
The Software & Information Industry Association is aggressively going after small and mid-size businesses, accusing them of software piracy. Many businesses are already under investigation, and facing potentially steep fines and bad publicity that could hurt their reputation with customers and business partners. Despite the fact that this is an issue involving software, it’s not…
Many people mistakenly believe that a license agreement, manual and a copy of software media are sufficient to prove ownership of a software product. However, in the event of an audit, trade associations or software publishers do not accept any of these as proof of ownership. To prove ownership, auditors want a dated proof of…
