Small firms 'more likely to fall for illegal software'
Jun 08 2009
Small companies are more likely to use unlicenced software because they do not have the resources to look at IT compliance, it has been claimed.
Recent research published by the trade group Business Software Alliance (BSA) found that London companies install pirated software worth £149 million each year.
Julian Swan, director of compliance marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at the organisation, claims that it is the city's smaller firms which tend to be at the root of this problem.
He explains that that software compliance is less of a priority for enterprises which employ a few people than it is for larger companies which have the ability to staff a full IT department.
However, Swan adds: 'It's not necessarily a deliberate act by any means. The trouble is that doesn't mean that it's not illegal.'
Alyna Cope, spokesperson for the BSA country committee, also points out that being caught with unlicenced applications puts companies at risk of legal action and she urges them to perform regular software audits.
In addition, Cope claims that piracy often has a wider impact on research and development in the software industry, adding that start-ups and smaller technology companies often bear the greatest financial burden.
Comment by Sadien Inc
Monday 8th June 2009It is also reasonable to say that many small businesses use software that is not properly licensed because they simply do not understand software licensing in general, and/or truly believe they are compliant. This is phenomenon my group calls "Accidental Piracy." We have a 1 minute video on the topic here: http://www.sadien.com/video.html Sadien Staff Sadien, Inc. http://www.sadien.com
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Comment by Sharmee Mavadia
Wednesday 24th June 2009SME's should look at using a recognised brand to buy and download their software to get over the compliance issues. Using Intel's BX portal which provides a unique single destination for small and medium businesses (SMBs) to learn about how to address business problems, evaluate different packages and buy and download software: http://ibx.intel.co.uk at highly competitive prices. The portal contains IT resources from Intel and from other independent industry experts, as well as user-generated software reviews - allowing SMBs to benefit from the experiences of their peers.
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