In brief: SMEs targeted under software piracy campaign

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are beginning to work with the Business Software Alliance (BSA) to combat piracy.

Siobhan Carroll, BSA UK campaign manager, told Silicon News: "Our strategy is working. People are sending us tip-offs and downloading our material from the Internet." The BSA strategy is a combination of education programs and enforcement campaigns.

The BSA's annual figures - released in mid-June - showed that in 1997, 31 per cent of software in the UK was pirated, the lowest figure in Europe. Ireland, at 65 per cent, had the worst record.

"We are on target to cut this down to 27 per cent for 1998," said Carroll. "This will be in line with US figures." The BSA shifted its attention from large corporations to SMEs at the end of 1997.