The Business Software Alliance last week released the name of the
latest company to have paid a fine for illegal software use, as it
continued its controversial "name and shame" policy.
The licensing watchdog, which represents companies such as
Microsoft, Adobe and Symantec, has pursued the name and shame
policy over the past few months, publishing the names of offenders
even after companies have agreed financial settlements.
The policy has prompted legal experts and user bodies to urge firms
to exercise extreme caution when dealing with the BSA.
The latest miscreant, Bausch and Lomb, an eye care company based in
Scotland, was using software without having purchased sufficient
licences to cover the use, the BSA said.
Mike Newton, programme manager for the BSA in the UK, reiterated
the organisation's call for companies to audit their PCs and tally
up the software being used against the licence agreements they
have.
"Aside from the fact that it is illegal for companies to use
unlicensed software, it is also a very inefficient way of running a
business," he said. "The illegal software on this particular
company's system was not even necessary to the company, which has
since deleted it from its network."