Recently, the Business Software Alliance began calling itself “BSA │The Software Alliance”. So why the change? Is there a new affiliation of some sort? Is this a new strategy in deflecting software piracy? The answer is quite simple really: they might have a new name, but the Software Alliance still inhabits the global anti-piracy campaign the Business Software Alliance started in 1988.
The new name is facial makeover and nothing more. The Software Alliance is still the leading anti-piracy organization in the world that centers on the investigative strategy of anonymous reports and rewards. Billion dollar software companies, such as Adobe and Microsoft, turn to the BSA as their bounty hunter for software pirates “stealing” their products. However, these pirates don’t have swords and wooden legs, they are businesses of all sizes just like yours.
For the most part, the Software Alliance gets its leads from disgruntled IT employees who have recently been let go and who are looking for some sort of revenge. The Software Alliance’s anti-piracy hotline provides an outlet for these employees not only to report alleged piracy, but to get a reward in the process. With intimate knowledge of a company’s software license portfolio, these former employees have the exact information the Software Alliance is looking for. The BSA then takes this information and conducts an investigation into the claims.
After the investigation is complete, the BSA’s attorneys will send the company a letter threatening legal action for copyright infringement and requesting that the company complete a software audit. Receiving a letter like this can be overwhelming. The Software Alliance has global power behind it, so the playing field is far from equal. However, before responding, consider seeking expert legal advice.
The attorneys at Dorman Bell have worked with clients on responding to letters from the Software Alliance as well as negotiating settlements with the BSA. With over twenty years of software development and software license experience, our attorneys can facilitate a software compliance audit that can maximize a company’s software licenses as well as minimize potential future exposure to the BSA │The Software Alliance. For more information, call us at (214) 736-718 or visit our contact page and we will get back with you as soon as possible. We look forward to serving you!!!