A cell phone retailer in the USA has been fined US$92,500 for using unauthorised copies of Microsoft software on its computers. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) announced the settlement with Freedom Wireless, which operates a chain of 50 retail stores throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Freedom Wireless is one of the largest Verizon Wireless Authorized Retailers in the Ohio/Pennsylvania region and was the Verizon Wireless "Agent of The Year" in the region from 2000-2007.
As part of the settlement agreement, the company agreed to delete all unlicensed copies of software from its computers, acquire any licenses necessary to become compliant and commit to implementing stronger software asset management (SAM) practices. BSA was alerted to the unlicensed software use by an anonymous tip-off on its website.
"All businesses need to be certain they have adequate licenses for all software installed on their computers," said Jodie Kelley, BSA's Vice-President of Anti-Piracy and General Counsel. "Proper software asset management helps to maximize a company's IT investment and ensure the highest level of software security. Unfortunately, the use of unlicensed software is a significant issue that impacts the technology industry and denies government vital tax revenue. BSA will continue to aggressively pursue all organizations that operate using unlicensed or stolen software."
No comments:
Post a Comment