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eDisaster Story of the Week
March 16, 2001
Don't Let Software Pirates Sink Your Ship
In the US, one out of every four business software applications is illegally copied, or pirated, resulting in $3.2 billion in lost revenue for software manufacturers. Software piracy is a real concern, and both the federal government and industry associations that police software piracy take a tough stance against offenders.
How tough? One US novelty and gift company, Oriental Trading, paid $525,000 to settle claims against it for running unlicensed software on its system.
Ignorance of copyright laws or employees' software piracy won't protect you. Get caught with pirated software in the workplace, and you'll face fines of up to $150,000 per title infringed.
The best advice: (1) Audit all computer workstations for illegal software. Replace all pirated software with legal copies; (2) Assume a firm anti-piracy stance; (3) Educate employees about copyright law; and (4) Implement a written software policy.
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