$100K illegal software penalty for WA company

BSA | The Software Alliance has settled a case with a Western Australian metalwork company for the illegal use of software owned by BSA members Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft in breach of copyright law.

Under the settlement, the company paid $100,000 in damages for the use of unlicensed software.

The six-figure settlement in Western Australia follows a record number of settlements for the state in 2015.

In addition to paying damages, the business has agreed to purchase legitimate software licences of Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft programs to legalise its ongoing software deployments.

To ensure ongoing compliance, the business has also agreed to undertake regular audits and report to BSA.

The informant who reported the matter is also the first to receive the maximum reward of $20,000 from BSA.

BSA is offering up to $20,000 to eligible recipients who disclose accurate information regarding unlawful copying or use of BSA members’ software.

Potential recipients must provide assistance and evidence to support the information, as may be required by BSA’s legal advisers, in connection with any claim or legal proceedings initiated by the BSA members.

According to the BSA, nearly one in four installations of business software in Australia is unlicensed.

“While some businesses think they can save money and fly under the radar by using unlicensed software, the reality is they fail to consider the larger financial and reputational risks,” said Roland Chan, senior director, compliance programs, Asia-Pacific, BSA.

“This case serves as a reminder to businesses everywhere of the importance of using properly licensed software,” he added.

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

Image courtesy Kiewic under CC