Software Asset Management (SAM) Blog

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) in Australia has announced a AU $100,000 increase in fines levied against organizations acccused of illegal software user in 2009 compared with the previous year.

In total, the Australian BSA agreed settlements worth a total of AU $331,678 with 12 companies during 2009.

The BSA also reported that it received a record number of 95 leads about businesses using unlicensed or pirated software in 2009 (up from 44 leads reported in 2008).

According to the BSA, the two highest individual settlements in Australia last year were worth AU $90,000 and $85,000 respectively. On top of these settlement bills, as part of the settlement, each business caught out also had to purchase valid licences for its continuing or future use of BSA member software products. All the companies involved have also agreed to now implement proper Software Asset Management (SAM).

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has announced a £70,000 settlement with a West Midlands-based firm accused of using unlicensed Microsoft and Adobe software applications. The target firm, which is listed on the London Stock Exhange, has agreed to make a payment of £20,000 and to purchase new licenses worth around £50,000.

BSA EMEA compliance marketing director Julian Swan commented: “…as long as unlicensed software accounts for more than one in every four pieces of business software, we will continue to take a hard line. Eventually the message will get through.”

2009 saw a distinct increase in the volume of license audits by software vendors, says Forrester Research.

Not only was the overall volume of audits increased, but the causes of disputes were also wider ranging than ever before, with virtualization and multiplexing key issues.

In Forrester’s new report ‘Surviving a Software Audit‘, Principal Analyst, Duncan Jones, claims that “…many vendors’ audit teams seemed to want to meet their revenue targets by exploiting technicalities and loopholes.”

And while it is acknowledged that software vendors have every legitimate right to audit for license compliance, the tactics of some vendors are perceived as underhand - akin to a traffic cop hiding in the bushes with a radar gun.

Forrester has some good advice for those charged with maintaining an organization’s compliance: Don’t avoid the audit, co-operate with the vendor [we’d go further and suggest pre-empting the audit with effective Discovery and License Management to truly put yourself in the driving seat] and demonstrate good SAM practices to persuade the vendor that you’re not a good ‘revenue opportunity’.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), a software licensing and piracy watchdog funded by some of the world’s largest software companies, has today announced that it is doubling the maximum UK reward for reporting software piracy. The BSA will now offer whistle-blowers up to £20,000 in return for tipping off the watchdog about potential software piracy.

According to the BSA, it took legal action against 294 UK firms and levied penalties worth £447,000 in 2008.