I was listening to KWUF the other morning, and a commercial during the top-of-the-hour news got my attention.  The ad said “Is unlicensed software being used at your workplace? You can collect a bounty reward of up to $1,000,000 with your confidential tip. Just go to www.nopiracy.com“

 So even if pirated software isn’t on your radar screen, your employees are motivated to put it on theirs.  When was the last time you conducted an audit of your company’s computers to check for unlicensed software? Having pirated software is not only a huge financial risk, but it can also open up your network to viruses and security threats. Companies must manage their software just as carefully as they would any other aspect of their business.

Case Study:

Steven was recently hired as the inventory manager for a small electronics firm. Steven’s new employer – IHT Electronics – does not have a centralized IT department, and as a result the firm’s 75 employees have been free to make illegal copies of unlicensed software and install them on the firm’s computers. In fact, this behavior is encouraged by the firm’s owner, who argues that the software they need to run the business is too expensive for such a small firm.

Steven needs his job and is reluctant to say anything about the piracy. At the same time, however, he knows that piracy is illegal and that everyone will get in trouble if they are caught. During his spare time, Steven decides to do a bit more research on software piracy in order to find out what his options are. His search leads him to Business Software Alliance.