FAST in partnership with Trading Standards, continues to urge businesses to stay safe from software misuse by insisting they monitor their software usage closely. As Trading Standards is becoming more stringent in investigating organisations’ suspected illegal activity, FAST is continuing to reduce illegal software use by educating businesses on software compliance and best practices in IT management.
FAST continues to support the use of section 107A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, under which Trading Standards has the duty and the power to investigate copyright offences which could mean inspecting UK workplaces after a whistleblower complaint of a copyright offence.
Rob Abell, Fair Trading Officer at Trading Standards, says some companies have already been caught using software illegally and they have been fully investigated. “Every year Britain’s digital economy is largely affected by piracy and illegitimate software use: future investment, innovation and people’s jobs are at stake. We want a level playing field for those businesses that are meeting their legal requirements. With the support of FAST we are now looking to do more work in the arena of software theft in the workplace, to minimise the chances of the bad trend continuing, as well as helping and supporting those businesses trying to trade legally and remain competitive in the current economic climate.”
