High-tech firms the worst for software piracy

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has highlighted the worst sectors for use of pirated software, maintaining it isn't trying to hound companies but educate them.

Ironically, the worst offenders are in high-tech (made up of internet, IT, software development and telecoms companies) and professional services (including accounting, consulting, financial and legal organisations). The two areas together account for over half of the 75 cases the BSA settled during 2002 as part of its piracy enforcement campaign.

However, the organisation - whose backers include some of the large software vendors who lose out when their products are illegally duplicated - hasn't gone as far as naming and shaming prosecuted organisations. Instead it has spoken of "a freight forwarder of London", "a Guildford-based games developer" and "a Liverpool-based IT consultancy".

Settlements from these and other companies ranged from £19,000 to over £56,000.

Asked about the way they conduct their investigations, BSA UK chairman Mark Floisand told silicon.com: "We're primarily about education, informing companies about the risks they are taking. If everyone knew [piracy] is against the law, our job would be half done."

However, users have in the past written to silicon.com, upset about the tactics of BSA and like-minded organisations such as the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST). Some have expressed concerns that if they ask for software auditing assistance they will quickly be the subject of a probe from the authorities.

Rene Carayol, former IT director and now CEO of consultancy Voodoo, said: "Using a blunt instrument [to investigate piracy] doesn't help anyone. Over 99 per cent of IT pros aren't stealing software but you won't get their co-operation because [the BSA and FAST] are seen to be in it to make the rich richer."

He added that he and others would rather see software companies get to know their customers better and so sell them more as a result.

The BSA's Floisand added that his organisation backs users working closely with vendors and resellers and sought to assure the market that the BSA has a policy of not forwarding details of those organisations that turn to it for help in auditing the software they possess.