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If the unlicensed software remaining on those 6 systems were all Microsoft products, there isn't much point in blaming the other members of the BSA for the way he was treated.

Wrong-O. Read it and weep. Linux World:

"The real motivation came when his company was busted in 2000 by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) for running pirated copies of software from Adobe Systems, Autodesk, FileMaker and Microsoft."

The real motivation came when his company was busted in 2000 by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) for running pirated copies of software from Adobe Systems, Autodesk, FileMaker and Microsoft.

Interesting. I'm glad you found it, because it provides some additional information about the infringing applications:

Adobe Systems: must be Acrobat writer, used to generate PDFs. They were probably using it to generate manuals that could be distributed electronically. The clerical staff might have a use for it, depending on who actually generates the files. It's too bad, because one can get an open-source PDF generator with most of the functionality of Adobe Writer.
Autodesk: they make a lot of different software, but their flagship seems to be AutoCAD. That's definitely an engineer's application.
FileMaker: this appears to be a type of database management system for arbitrary data. Engineering or clerical? Can't be sure, as we don't know how they are using it.
Microsoft: We don't know what software was infringing, but I still wouldn't expect it to be the things that are installed by OEM's, as there would be no reason to duplicate it.

And, it also sets the record straight about the infringement: it was 8% of the applications, not the desktops.

Thanks for the information! It clarified a few things for me, and at least partionally reinforces the owner's claim that the infringement was not willful.

I wonder if they are still using Autodesk and Filemaker products? There's no reason to use Adobe products, since Ghostscript/Ghostview will provide the basic functionality.

I forgot that I wanted to add something else that I found in the article you referenced:

Ernie Ball ended up settling with the BSA over claims related to use of unlicensed software to the tune of $90,000. Ball said, however, that he emerged from the ordeal critical of the way the problem is approached. The audit was prompted by an anonymous call to the BSA's antipiracy hotline by a disgruntled ex-employee, and concluded when armed U.S. Marshals shut down his IT system during a raid of the company's offices, he said.

Does anyone else find this alarming? Combined with the owner's comment in the other article, they went streight from an anonymous tip to armed US Marshals showing up on his doorstep.

There was no "compelling evidence". Had someone simply notified him of the allegation, he would have probably conducted an audit of his own, cleared up any problems, and then invited them in for an independent office to verify that he was in compliance.