According to the bsa, the strength of the economy was a key contributor to the rise. Microsoft sends the boys round the independent the. The business software alliance bsa has been accused of heavyhanded tactics that could drive small companies to incriminate themselves. Understanding its methods, and good software housekeeping practices can prevent businesses from falling foul of its naming and shaming policy. Business software alliance definition of business software. Bsa the software alliance and other industry leaders sent a multiassociation letter to the department of justice, encouraging the us. Anyone from disgruntled former employees to unscrupulous competitors can allege software infringement on a strictly no strings basis. If you received one of our letters, heres what you should do to mitigate these risks. While you may have a few choice words for bsa, take note of the four points. There are many ways a business can tackle a software audit. Is it the business software alliance bsa, or the software information industry association siia. We could get one of those bsa letters and all have a good laugh.
What to do when your business receives a letter from the. The business software alliance bsa, an association comprised of leading software publishing companies, has received information that company may have installed illegally duplicated ed software programs on its computers. Scott hove vicepresident, vp global operations chip lothes advertising director. According to the business software alliance, in uk business, one in four software packages is used illegally. Business software alliance activities and research each year the bsa publishes a variety of content on their website as they make strides to improve software compliance and make progress on their many programs. Microsoft audit letter and self assessment request, how to respond, legal. Sample bsa voluntary software audit letter vondran legal. If your company has received a letter from a software publisher or one of their trade organizations, such as the business software alliance or the software and information industry association, regarding alleged infringement or software piracy, before you respond to the letter or speak with the attorneys representing the business software alliance, you need. The business software alliance bsa are an international body that are. Nov 16, 2014 if your business received a software audit letter from the bsa business software alliance you need to understand how they work, and how they negotiate their settlement contracts. Bsa software audit will not trigger legal action the register. Another mistake is the use of an inadequate tool to conduct the kind of audit called for by the business software alliance. Software piracy claims can ruin your business and reward those.
Feb 18, 2004 the business software alliance last week launched a software detox initiative to help organisations check their software licenses. Business software association of australia wikipedia. Software audit letters may seem like a needless or malicious attack on your business. Business letters are used for written communication between two business partners and usually contain a business transaction. The issue came to light after one smallbusiness owner. The business software alliance a global advocate for. Businesses sometimes find themselves the recipients of a letter from the business software alliance bsa demanding an audit and accounting of software installed on company computers. Sep 30, 20 once an informant provides a tip, the bsa sends a cease and desist letter andor a letter requesting an audit. How to respond to a bsa or siia software audit letter. The business software alliance is a private company set up by software vendors, including microsoft, symantec, adobe, corel, autodesk and macromedia, to stamp out software piracy and recoup lost.
I opened the daily mail to find a letter from the business software alliance indicating that they wanted me to call them to schedule a visit for a. Feb 12, 2021 enterprise software or business to business b2b software enables the operations of other companies. Five eu countries among top 10 for cloud computing policy. Business turnaround specialists is a unit of cedar point consulting, a business management consulting firm based in washington, dc, with additional offices in new york city. If the united states can avoid being flatfooted the way it was on privacy while europe moves forward, and if it can lean more in, i think that creates a better political environment between the us and europe, said craig albright, the vice president of legislative strategy for bsa the software alliance. Feb 20, 2015 autodesk has over ten million users and is a member of the business software alliance bsa. Lisa training platform, excellence awards and conferences in uk, usa and. To use our bsa fine calculator to estimate your exposure click here. It opened 420 investigations in 2005 into uk businesses reported to be using software illegally, an increase of 24% on 2004. The letters often state that the bsa has received information that the business does. Today, the antipiracy group rejected concerns that firms could incriminate themselves via the online audit returns. How to survive a software licensing audit informationweek. The letters often state that the bsa has received information that the business does not have a proper license for software installed on its computers. Things are probably not as bad as the bsa suggests they are, he said.
Bsa software audit will not trigger legal action the. In a multiassociation letter sent today, bsa the software alliance led a group of prominent. Risky business tangling with the business software alliance. I am an intellectual property attorney in southlake, texas who has handled more than 230 business software alliance audit matters for small to mediumsized companies. Keith chapple, managing director intel uk, who said. Scott says, i have seen many businesses make the mistake of scrambling to purchase additional software upon receipt of the business software alliance letter.
What the business software alliance audit letter does. There are two common questions that arise from the business. The problem will not go away, and the bsa can file a federal. Sample letter we have used to respond to a request for a voluntary software audit from weir johnson on behalf of microsoft and a bsa software. Despite the strong rankings, however, the leadership. Bsa audit lawyer, bsa audit letter, contact kirkpatrick law. Have you received an audit letter from bsa business. How to respond to a bsa or siia software audit letter without.
It is a member of the international intellectual property alliance. In most federal software license audit cases, including cases with the business software alliance, we can often fix a low flat rate fee. The type of audit depends on the circumstances and can be done by the business or conducted by an outside party. Software asset management is an integral part of good business governance. If you have received a bsa the software alliance settlement demand letter, it is not too late to obtain the assistance of an experienced bsa defense attorney.
The business software alliance, is a trade group founded by microsoft that attempts to eliminate software piracy of the software made by its members. Bsa probably sent you a letter a while back asking for. The business software alliance promotes the continued growth of the software industry through its international public policy, education, and enforcement programs in 65 countries throughout north. No, it was a genuine and certified letter addressed to our company. This means it can be between businessmen business to business, b2b for short, or between businessmen and private individuals business toconsumer, b2c for short. In many it organizations, the business software alliance s three letter acronym is akin to a four letter word.
The first thing i do when i look at an audit letter is to see who is sending the letter. How to handle business software alliance audit demand letters. Founded as the business software alliance, it dropped business from its name in october 2012, and styles itself bsa the software alliance. Mar 16, 2012 march 16, 2012 the business software alliance bsa has been accused of heavyhanded tactics that could drive small companies to incriminate themselves. How to negotiate a settlement agreement with the business. Business software alliance is the industry organization that monitors software piracy and may demand that your company undertake a software licensing audit. Us and uk governments demand more even as eu prepares tougher data protection rules. May 01, 2002 bsa stands for business software alliance, a trade association for the heaviest of software heaviesmicrosoft, adobe, symantec, autodesk. Bsa claims open standards will increase costs techdirt. A business to business letter of introduction might commonly be used by businesses introducing their products, services or intent to another business. Failing to respond to a letter from the bsa, siia, or software. Known best as the software licensing watchdog for 30 major technology vendors including microsoft, adobe, autodesk and apple, the bsa collects millions of dollars in damages each year from errant businesses who fail to use properly. The intent behind this type of business introduction letter may be to describe a possible partnership, request investment opportunities, or, if a companys niche market is other businesses, they.
We started to learn the hard way about the bsa, said roberto, adding that the letter received was pretty damn intimidating. The bsa website offers a whistleblowing service open to allcomers. How to write a business introduction letter with examples. What i learned in the last 10 years defending bsa the. Before writing your introduction letter, you might first determine the intent of the letter. The business software alliance is the leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace. The business software alliance bsa targets small businesses that may be improperly using software of its members and retains lawyers to send a bsa audit letter to the business. Jun 20, 2018 preparing the bsa audit materials bsa the software alliance s primary enforcement tool is to send a threatening letter indicating that an investigation has commenced and offering to forego litigation if the target company provides a selfaudit. What you need to know if you receive a letter from bsa. Business software alliance bsa overclockers uk forums.
In may, the business software alliance, the industrys licensing watchdog, launched a sixweek blitz to cut the use of illegally copied or counterfeit software across 5,000 businesses in the. Business software alliance, 1st floor, leaconfield house, curzon street, london w1y 8as, united kingdom. Bsa initiates an informal investigation of the target business when it sends a letter stating it has received information that indicates the business may have illegallyduplicate proprietary software installed on its computers. Feb 28, 2018 the business software alliance in the uk is one of the regional offices and serves all of europe. This prevents unpredictable and shocking legal bills. It is funded through membership dues based on member companys software revenues, and through settlements from. Software audit defense and software compliance dorman, bell. When contacted by the software alliance you need experienced counsel to protect your business. Mar 12, 2016 the first thing i do when i look at an audit letter is to see who is sending the letter. The requested audit is meant to uncover unauthorized installations of ed software with the intent of recovering damages on behalf of the bsa owner. The business software alliance bsa figures were published on.
How to calculate damages for use of unlicensed software. Mar 14, 2003 today you receive a letter from the bsa threatening legal action for software infringement. Estimation of the business letter uk, it considers all your company owned became clear that cannot be accounted for you and being exaggerated and refusal to small. Software audits suck especially when dealing with large trade groups such as the bsa business software alliance. The business software association of australia bsaa, founded in 1989 was clarification needed is it still known under this name, even though its now a bsaa branch.
Ask sam what to do when you face a bsa audit 1e blogs. Brussels february 22 five eu members rank among the top 10 countries globally for policies and regulations that promote cloud computing, the. How to respond to the microsoft audit letter assetlabs. This blog will provide business owners with a general legal overview of the top 5 settlement terms you need to know. Jan 12, 2012 washington january 12 in a letter to the 100 members of the us senate, the business software alliance today recommended six key focus areas for legislation to comprehensively upgrade. If you receive a demand letter, you cannot just ignore bsas demands and hope for the best. A selfaudit consists of a listing of all bsa member software running on a companys computer networks, appropriate.
What the business software alliance audit letter does, is it identifies that it represents various entities, such as microsoft, adobe, acrobat and various others and the software that those manufactures create and produce. In the attached open letter, the association of american publishers, american film marketing association, business software alliance, interactive digital software association, international intellectual property association, motion picture association of america, national music publishers association, recording industry association of america. We also have experience working with kpmg in microsoft spla audits. The best thing to do when your company or small business receives a love letter from the bsa, siia, or even a united states company that receives a letter from f. Business software alliance jobs apply now careerbuilder. We are delighted that government has confirmed in the bill that keyescrow is off the agenda and is focusing on the real issue of legal recognition of electronic signatures which will give a vital boost to business and consumer confidence and promote the growth of electronic business in the uk. Top locations for business software alliance jobs business software alliance jobs near you chicago,il austin,tx kansas city,mo san francisco,ca phoenix,az. Bsa audit lawyer, bsa audit letter, contact kirkpatrick. Bsa the software alliances primary enforcement tool is to send a threatening letter indicating that an. It is funded through membership dues based on member. Business software alliance explained vondran legal.
Bsa calls for responsible tech policies in 2021 us policy agenda. Looking for definition of business software alliance. It helps organizations of all sizes and across all industries operate more safely and efficiently, enhance product and service development, and increase opportunities to innovate and grow. Germany, france, italy, uk and spain among global leaders, according to study. Its principal activity is trying to stop infringement of software produced by its members. Define business software alliance by websters dictionary, wordnet lexical database, dictionary of computing, legal dictionary, medical dictionary, dream dictionary. Hey guys and gals ive had the below letter come through and would like to know if any of you have ever had any dealings with the. Jan 18, 2008 the bsas threat letter can be a pretty scary item when it is addressed to your business, but helland says that businesses shouldnt despair. The business software alliance, also known as bsa, is a trade group established by the microsoft corporation in 1988 and represents a number of the worlds largest software makers and is a member of the international intellectual property alliance. In a multiassociation letter sent today, bsa the software alliance led a group of prominent technology trade associations in calling on the biden administration to prioritize open data policies and enhance the governments data capabilities by appointing a federal chief data officer. The business software alliance bsa figures were published on monday. Mar 26, 2021 in a multiassociation letter sent today, bsa the software alliance led a group of prominent technology trade associations in calling on the biden administration to prioritize open data policies and enhance the governments data capabilities by appointing a federal chief data officer. Antipiracy group the business software alliance bsa has hit back angrily at criticism from rival federation against software theft fast. Dec 09, 2005 a 10 per cent reduction in the uk s software piracy rate would result in 34,000 new jobs.
Failing to respond to a letter from the bsa, siia, or software publisher, will likely make your problems worse and could include litigation against. Business letters structure, content, and design ionos. The audit is used to determine if all the software available for use is properly licensed and paid for by the business. Even if a company is honest and has no stolen software, receiving such a letter can cause both stress and monetary losses as the company attempts to chase down.
This article discusses the steps involved in a software audit from the customer. Software police accused of targeting small businesses. Risky business tangling with the business software. Bsa joins industry letter to push for a useu agreement on law. It may seem that it is fishing just to find something against you. Regardless of whether you are running unlicensed software on your computer networks, it is likely just a matter of time before your business receives a letter from bsa the software alliance. Bsa does what it calls a cooperative selfaudit, which means that it asks a company to. Federal against software theft or other software compliance group is to immediately contact one of our ip lawyers to discuss your possible defenses and strategy. The business software alliance has named and shamed five more uk companies that settled out of court after being accused of using unlicensed software. What you need to know if you receive a letter from bsa the. Microsoft cal exchange and window server licenses remaining a hot issue. The business software alliance is the leading advocate for the global software industry before. Industry experts hit out at bsa name and shame policy.
Illinois ranks high in bsa software piracy leads scott. For instance, if you have recently launched a new business and want customers to know about your products or services, you can write your introduction as a business tocustomer letter. About the business software alliance bsa audit defense. It does not help that the advice you might have received from socalled experts on structural and volume licensing programmes got it wrong. Software infringement cases appear to be on the rise. How to handle business software alliance audit demand. Bsa the software alliance bsa is the leading advocate for the global software industry.
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