How Do We Stop It?

How should we combat software piracy? BSA says that copyright infringement and statutory damages carry penalties of up to $150,000 for each program copied. If the copied program is used for commercial or private gain, Federal penalties carry fines of up to $250,000, up to a 5-year jail term, or both.

The SPA has several other suggestions for staying on the legal side of software usage. The following are a few of those suggestions (Branscum, 1993, pp. 235, 237):

• "Managers should make an inventory of all the software programs that exist in the organization, destroying illegal copies, and purchasing legal copies of any software that's needed.
• "Appoint a software manager to implement the company's software policy, maintain purchase records, and oversee employee compliance.
• "Establish procedures for acquiring and registering software. That includes deciding what the company needs; planning and budgeting for purchases; registering software; and giving users access to manuals and other documentation.
• Establish and maintain a software log. At its most basic, that log should list each package the company owns and the computer it runs on. The SPA suggests tracking each package's serial number, purchase terms (site license, other discounts or deals), the date of purchase, and where the program was purchased.
• "Conduct periodic audits. When it comes to staying legal, annual or twice yearly audits are the only way to know if employees are complying with software policies.
• "Establish an employee education program. Employees can't comply with policies unless they know what they are. One way to teach them is to establish a written software code of ethics, which the SPA recommends employees sign annually. The SPA also suggests including a section on software piracy in orientation programs, to inform new employees that it is illegal—and against company policy—to violate software copyright.
• "Maintain a library of software licenses. Some software companies allow users to keep one copy of a program at work and at home, as long as the two are never used concurrently; other companies require a separate, purchased program for every machine."