5 years ago: Small firms warned over IT abuse

This year the Business Software Alliance reported that use of illegal software use had actually risen for the first time in seven years and the worst pirates are SMEs who don't have enough money to pay for licences or simply didn't know they aren't compliant with the law.

While "I didn't know I was doing anything wrong" may have been a legitimate excuse some years ago, some - the Federation Against Software Theft among them – think it's more likely companies are pleading innocence while happily flouting the law.

Techies in SMEs might not agree, complaining that now the ever-increasing complexity of licensing means even when they intend to meet their obligations, the indecipherable small print can inadvertently land them in legal hot water.

Whichever stance you take, with the price of licensing software legitimately still a big issue – and a big cash drain – for small firms. A mix of better education and legislation will be needed from both government and software manufacturers before SMEs find themselves on the right side of the law.