The powerful Software and Information Industry
Association (SIIA) in the US is preparing a major anti-counterfeit
software drive against online auction sites, and will unleash its
first round of lawsuits against alleged counterfeit software
sellers.
The SIIA campaign will be launched in the US next week. The
association plans to monitor auction sites, including eBay,
identify individuals and groups selling pirate software, and then
sue them on behalf of its members.
SIIA membership includes Apple Computer, HP, Hitachi and IBM.
Microsoft and Oracle aren’t members but participate in SIIA
anti-piracy initiatives.
The SIIA is not threatening to sue eBay for carrying counterfeit
software on its site, although jewellery company Tiffany is
currently suing eBay for allegedly not doing enough to stop the
sale of counterfeit Tiffany goods on its site. EBay says it takes
down any counterfeit goods from its site.
A number of file-sharing peer-to-peer networks have lost legal
actions against the music and film industry for facilitating the
distribution of unlicensed music and movies. Their defence –
that they simply provide a communications infrastructure for their
members – has not washed with the courts.