The end of the year is a busy time for software publishers and entities like the BSA | The Software Alliance (“BSA”) and the Software & Industry Information Association (“SIIA”) to resolve an audit target’s copyright infringement dispute by entering into settlement agreements. While it may be advantageous for a company to reach a quick…
A software audit may come in many forms, ranging from an offer for a free Software Asset Management (SAM), a License Verification, or a request by a representative organization, such as an outside law firm, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) or Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA). Unfortunately, many companies do not understand the implications…
Previously, I wrote an article about poor advice that can get you sued for copyright infringement in software audits. While some of the main auditors have changed, the advice has not. The following is the most common bad advice that can result in litigation. Software publishers now commonly initiate audits through compliance teams pursuant to…
Companies are sometimes fielding multiple software audit demands from multiple software vendors simultaneously, which can significantly impact in-house counsel. Software audits may be initiated by publishers or through outside entities such as BSA | The Software Alliance. Audits initiated directly from a software publisher are sometimes presented as a sales offer from the compliance team,…
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…
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…
