The UK Software Management and Licensing Conference
21st April 2010
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Press Releases
Press Releases
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7th March 2005 |
‘We will leave no stone unturned’ |
- The Federation tracks illegal software downloads to individual computers and warns company directors that they are liable - The Federation Against Software Theft (The Federation) is concerned that the combination of director complacency and advanced technology make software theft rife in the UK. As a result it has raised the bar in its fight to protect the software industry against piracy with the launch of an online tracking system to trace illegal software sharing down to individual computers. The powerful system, codenamed Operation Tracker, will enable The Federation to trace both the people making software available illegally and the library of what they have on offer. It will also monitor companies from where such activities emanates. Evidence of these activities may enable a court order to be granted which requires the relevant ISP to provide the physical details (name, postal address, etc) of the account holder. Despite the accuracy of Operation Tracker, the emphasis of subsequent action will focus on organisations and the directors who allow their employees to break the law. However, if an individual is operating on a substantial scale, The Federation will consider acting accordingly. Action by The Federation is primarily to combat the complacency about the increasing problem of software piracy that it believes prevails in certain sectors of corporate UK. John Lovelock, director general of The Federation comments: "Corporate liability is something that management cannot afford to gloss over - it will come back to bite them. In the case of misuse of software, directors cannot plead ignorance - if their staff are using the corporate network for illegal activity, those in charge may be liable. We would like employees to think carefully about downloading copies of software without paying for it. However the responsibility for their actions can rest with the directors and officers of their organisation. Theft is theft and will be treated accordingly," he continued. The campaign is founded on The Federation's understanding that staff take advantage of their employers' high speed internet access and large storage capabilities in their enterprises for illegal file sharing. Although its key targets are businesses, The Federation will also work with the enforcement authorities to take criminal action against individuals where appropriate. In January 2004, The Federation reinforced its use of criminal proceedings to crack down the misuse of software under s.109 of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988. Locklove concludes: "Our message hasn't changed: installing software unlawfully is wrong. These new systems and technologies now give us the additional facility to monitor the digital arena and get a grip on the situation before it gets out of hand." |
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About FAST IiS
In September 2008 the Federation Against Software Theft and Investors in Software joined forces to advocate distilled, simplified and unified messaging on software asset management (SAM) and software licence management (SLM) best practice to the end user community. The strength of the two reputable brands encapsulates a holistic approach to driving the professional use of software across the industry and the globe.
The Federation Against Software Theft was formed in 1984; it was the first organisation globally to champion the professional management of legitimate software and protect publisher.s rights. It aims to reduce, restrict and or lessen the incidence of unauthorised dealings in computer software.
The Federation by way of the FAST IiS brand is a not-for-profit organisation that is limited by guarantee and wholly owned by its members. It works on many fronts to promote the legitimate use of software and protect its members. rights through education, enforcement, lobbying and promoting standards and best practice in business. www.fastiis.org
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