Autodesk introduced subscription plans in 2016 and shortly thereafter, began to phase out perpetual licenses. However, many perpetual users were able to continue upgrading to the newest version of Autodesk products if they had an active maintenance plan. Last month, Autodesk terminated its maintenance program, officially ending all support for perpetual licenses in an effort…
Software audits are a means for software publishers to enforce and regulate use of their copyrighted software, and publishers regularly outsource enforcement of their copyrights to law firms or entities such as the BSA| The Software Alliance (“BSA”) or Software & Information Industry Association (“SIIA”). The BSA and SIIA often send a letter to targets…
In recent years, many software publishers began using software audits as a means to increase revenue by penalizing customers for perceived compliance issues. Software publishers often conduct direct audits, or audit through companies such as the BSA | The Software Alliance (“BSA”), or the Software & Information Industry Association (“SIIA”). Although many software users take…
Agreements often contain clauses allowing the parties to review books and records, “Books and Records” clauses. These are often boilerplate clauses included in agreements without much consideration from the contracting parties. When a Books and Records clause is used in a software agreement without a software audit clause, it can lead to serious consequences. It…
The BSA | The Software Alliance (“the BSA”) investigates claims of software copyright infringement behalf of its member software publishers to determine whether any companies end users have unlicensed software installed in violation of The Copyright Act. The BSA has been granted a power of attorney to pursue claims relating to copyright infringement on behalf…
Software publishers, acting alone, or through a proxy such as the Business Software Alliance (“BSA”) or Software & Information Industry Association (“SIIA”), regularly audit customers or potential customers to ensure license compliance and deter against copyright infringement. For mid-sized or larger companies that employ an in-house or external IT resource to manage software purchases and…
Software publishers and entities like the BSA| The Software Alliance and the SIIA regularly audit companies to investigate copyright infringement claims. These entities seek monetary penalties if any infringement is discovered, and in the majority of cases, reach an out of court settlement for an agreed upon sum. Sometimes, settlement negotiations break down and one…
The International Data Corporation (“IDC”) reports that more than one-third of all software sold is counterfeit, despite often being marketed as authentic or legitimate by a third-party reseller. In addition to counterfeit software, some vendors sell heavily discounted software that is legitimate, but is sold in violation of its license agreement. The Copyright Act shifts…
Software publishers have increasingly identified software audits as potential revenue-generating exercises, which has led to a rise in the number of companies targeted. Small, medium, and large companies all need to be aware that a software audit can result in extensive time and unbudgeted financial expenditures. Software audits may be initiated by publishers or through…
The Covid-19 pandemic shifted entire non-essential industries to a remote workforce, leaving companies scrambling to set up employees to work from home. A study in June 2020 by Pricewaterhouse Coopers determined that nearly 70% of office workers were working remotely. While some employees were allowed to simply transfer their work computers to their home office,…
