Posted on 04/29/2002 3:14:53 PM PDT by Registered
| WISCONSIN COMPANY PAYS SOFTWARE WATCHDOG $150,000 BSA Announces Software Grace Period in Milwaukee Washington, D.C., April 29, 2002 – The Business Software Alliance (BSA), a watchdog group representing the nation’s leading software manufacturers, today announced that Commercial Communication, Inc., a printing company located in Hartland, WI, paid BSA $150,000 after a self-audit revealed more copies of Adobe, Autodesk, Macromedia, Microsoft and Symantec software programs on its computers than it had licenses to support. In addition to the payment, the company agreed to delete any unlicensed copies, purchase replacement software and strengthen its software management practices. This settlement announcement comes at the launch of BSA’s Software Grace Period, a one-month opportunity for Milwaukee, WI, Salt Lake City, UT, Tulsa, OK and Grand Rapids, MI-area businesses to review their software installations and acquire needed licenses without facing penalties for past infringement. The Grace Period will occur May 1-May 31. Businesses in these cities will receive information from BSA about the Grace Period and how to participate. Companies that take the necessary steps to become fully licensed during the Grace Period will be excused from penalties for software violations that occurred prior to May 31, 2002. * Most investigations begin with a call to BSA’s hotline, 1-888-NO PIRACY, or with a report to BSA’s Online Reporting Form, at www.bsa.org. In this case, BSA contacted the company through its attorneys and the company cooperated with BSA and voluntarily conducted self-audit. “The settlement with Commercial Communication, Inc. demonstrates why every organization needs to pay close attention to their software management practices,” said Bob Kruger, vice president of enforcement for the BSA. “We encourage businesses to utilize the resources provided by BSA to assist them in establishing a sound software management program. Companies can then avoid paying stiff penalties to BSA.” “Our company has always respected intellectual property rights, and is pleased that we were able to work with BSA to get the matter resolved. We have taken a number of additional precautionary measures to prevent the situation from occurring in the future,” said Sue Armstrong, CEO, Commercial Communications, Inc. An independent study ** conducted for BSA cited that Wisconsin had a piracy rate of 15.8 percent for business software during 2000, well below the national average of 24 percent. When evaluating the impact to the economy of Wisconsin, software piracy of all packaged software resulted in a state tax loss of more than $5 million. * Visit www.bsagrace.com for complete rules. The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal online world. The BSA is the voice of the world's software, hardware and Internet sectors before governments and with consumers in the international marketplace. Its members represent the fastest growing industry in the world. BSA educates computer users on software copyrights and cyber security; advocates public policy that fosters innovation and expands trade opportunities; and fights software piracy. BSA members include Adobe, Apple Computer, Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Borland, CNC Software/Mastercam, Macromedia, Microsoft, Symantec and Unigraphics Solutions (EDS). |
Why aren't you driving a car you didn't pay for?
Do you sell your graphics? If you do, you won't mind it if someone takes a few and makes some money off them, will you?
What gives you the idea that it's OK to take something that doesn't belong to you?
I'll bet you used the hell out of Napster.
So, theft is OK with you? You're damned lucky there's even a grace period.
These communists think they will inflitrate your business and turn it upside down looking for software. They wouldn't even make it in my front door - the armed guards would make them wet their shorts!
It is what you might call Guerilla Marketing,
I got harrased by Microsoft and the BSA for years, if they had anything on us they would have sued us by now, it is just a marketing tactic,
If you can show me that you have sufficient evidence that I have pirated software on my machine and that you have the authorization of BSA, you're welcome to.
If you've paid for all the software on your machine, then you've got nothing to worry about, do you?
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