Scottish branch of Bausch and Lomb caught using illegal software

According to the BSA, Bausch and Lomb was using the software without having purchased sufficient licenses to cover that use. Mike Newton, programme manager for BSA in the UK, said:

"We can't stress enough how important it is for companies to audit their PCs and tally up the software in use against the licenses or licensing 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. The illegal software on this particular company's system was not even necessary to the company, who have since deleted it from their network."

The BSA represents most of the world’s major software companies in fighting against illegal use of their products. According to its research, the UK software industry lost £346 million to business software piracy in 2000. It estimates that more than one in four pieces of business software in the UK is pirated.

The organisation has drawn criticism from those who feel it is too heavy-handed in its fight against piracy. It offers rewards to those who blow the whistle on companies using unlicensed software. Often, the guilty companies are victims of their own software licensing mismanagement. Even where they settle with the BSA after finding that they were unknowingly using software illegally, the BSA often takes a name-and-shame approach.

The BSA’s web site provides a free self-audit tool and a Guide to Software Management for companies. Organisations which are unsure of the legal status of their software can call the BSA’s confidential hotline on 0800 510 510 for advice and assistance or visit www.bsa.org/uk.