Pittsburgh Businesses Have 15 Days Left to Get Legal

Pittsburgh businesses have 15 days left to make sure they are using only fully licensed, legal software before the Business Software Alliance (BSA) resumes investigations in Southwest Pennsylvania. BSA, a global organization representing the nation's leading software manufacturers, is currently operating a month-long compliance campaign encouraging Pittsburgh businesses to review their installed software and acquire any licenses necessary to become compliant without facing penalties.* The campaign urges businesses to avoid getting caught in a "net" of technical, financial and legal risks due to unlicensed software use, by taking the necessary steps to become compliant and avoid a BSA investigation.

"We hope that local businesses take advantage of this educational initiative and achieve license compliance during these last weeks of the campaign," said Jenny Blank, Senior Director of Legal Affairs for BSA. "The legal, financial, and technical consequences of using unlicensed software are very real and we are here to offer businesses the time, tools and resources needed to achieve compliance. With resources such as the online HealthCheck tool available at www.AvoidtheNet.com, Pittsburgh businesses can assess the health of their software policies and learn if they are at risk of software license violations before it's too late and BSA investigations begin."

The BSA is working with Pittsburgh city government officials to highlight the issue of software piracy and help local businesses avoid the problems encountered when using unlicensed software. The office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl issued a proclamation declaring May 1 as "Software Piracy Awareness Day." In addition, City Council President Doug Shields issued a proclamation to BSA at the May 8 City Council meeting. On May 30, the Pittsburgh Technology Council and the BSA will host a seminar to help educate smaller and medium-sized businesses on the risks of using unlicensed software and the preliminary steps on how to implement a sound software management program.

In order to help businesses with effective software management, BSA recommends establishing a sound software management program and clearly communicating it to employees-communication is the most effective tool in preventing and detecting software piracy in the workplace. Through initiatives such as this campaign, the BSA hopes to help educate businesses regarding the consequences of using unlicensed software and the harmful effects on businesses and the local economy, which ultimately affects every consumer. For further materials and information regarding how to avoid these risks, please visit: www.AvoidtheNet.com.

Software piracy is against the law and affects thousands of businesses nationwide, costing millions of dollars in tax revenues and lost jobs. It can result in fines of up to $150,000 for each software title copied and increases the risk for security and technical complications. An independent study** shows that 21 percent of software in the United States is unlicensed. In 2006, the United States lost nearly $7.3 billion as a result of software piracy. Pennsylvania currently ranks within the top ten states in the country for highest settlements, totaling over $5.6 million in damages since BSA's enforcement program began in 1993. -http://www.bsa.org