 | A Canadian organization has settled claims of unauthorized copying of copyrighted software with the Business Software Alliance (BSA). Ross Video, based in Iroquois, Ontario, paid a total of $51,971 agreed to delete all unlicensed copies of software, purchase any licenses necessary to become compliant, and commit to implementing software asset management (SAM) practices. | |
Toronto - January 23, 2012 - A Canadian organization has settled claims of unauthorized copying of copyrighted software with the Business Software Alliance (BSA). Ross Video, based in Iroquois, Ontario, paid a total of $51,971 agreed to delete all unlicensed copies of software, purchase any licenses necessary to become compliant, and commit to implementing software asset management (SAM) practices. BSA was alerted to the unlicensed software use via a confidential report made on its website www.nopiracy.ca .
BSA, as the leading global advocate of the software industry, is committed to raising awareness about the risks associated with software piracy and taking action against illegal software use.
These settlements are the result of BSA’s enforcement program which investigates cases concerning alleged under-licensing, a form of copyright infringement that occurs when software is installed on multiple computers without proper authorization. Under the Canadian Copyright Act, under-licensing can result in fines of up to $20,000 for each software title illegally copied.
“Under-licensing is a significant contributor to the overall software piracy market in Canada and affects all industry sectors,” said Jodie Kelley, Vice-President of Anti-Piracy and General Counsel for the BSA. “Proper software asset management policies and procedures can help companies of all sizes circumvent costly damages resulting from under-licensing.”
Most of BSA’s software investigations begin with a call to its anti-piracy hotline, 1-888-NO-PIRACY, or with a report to an online reporting form at www.nopiracy.ca. The majority of reports come from current or former employees. Upon receiving information of alleged software piracy, BSA contacts the company to explore the matter further by asking them to perform an audit of its software assets. If a settlement cannot be reached, both parties have the option of turning the matter over to the courts. In the cases announced today, BSA’s attorneys contacted the companies and invited them to work towards an informal resolution.
Software piracy continues to be a serious problem in Canada. According to a 2011 BSA-IDC study, 28 per cent of PC software installed on computers in Canada in 2010 was pirated, with a retail value of approximately US$1.066 billion.* A BSA-IDC study released in 2010 on the economic impact of piracy in Canada suggests that reducing Canada’s piracy rate by 10 percentage points over four years would create an estimated 6,445 high-tech jobs, over US$3 billion in new economic activity, and nearly US$1.5 billion in new taxes by 2013, with 85 per cent of those benefits expected to remain in the local economy.**
In an effort to help prevent software piracy and promote the most effective utilization of software assets, BSA offers SAM Advantage, the first comprehensive online Software Asset Management course aligned to the global ISO SAM standard.
About BSA
The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the leading global advocate for the software industry. It is an association of nearly 100 world-class companies that invest billions of dollars annually to create software solutions that spark the economy and improve modern life. Through international government relations, intellectual property enforcement and educational activities, BSA expands the horizons of the digital world and builds trust and confidence in the new technologies driving it forward.
|
