Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 6, 2008 9:37:38 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Small Businesses Targeted for Software Violations

Posted Nov 26, 07 4:00 PM CST in Business,  Technology 

(Newser) – A group representing major software companies in copyright enforcement actions has been targeting small businesses for violating software licenses, reports the AP. Almost 90% of the Business Software Alliance's $13 million in settlements with North American companies last year came from small companies. Some owners say they were punished for accidentally breaking confusing license agreements, not intentional piracy.

"Sometimes you grow so fast, you can't keep control of everything," said the president of one firm that paid a $125,000 settlement. Some targeted businesses say they now avoid buying software from the tech giants that make up the BSA's membership—including Microsoft, Adobe, Symantec, Apple, Autodesk, and McAfee—opting for open-source alternatives.

Source Associated Press

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Prankster's 1st Computer Virus Turns 25

    Sep 2, 07 5:56 PM CDT
    Prankster's 1st Computer Virus Turns 25 A prankster who wrote the first computer virus 25 years ago says only, “It was some dumb little practical joke.” Yet Richard Skrenta’s desire to infiltrate other Apple II’s with a poem (“It will get on all your disks; it will infiltrate your chips”) marked the beginning of a worldwide virus craze that spawned a $38 billion security industry and 150 to 175 new pieces of malware every day. More »

Michael Gaertner poses at his architectural business Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007 in Galveston, Texas. Gaertner worried that a letter from Business Software Alliance would put him out of business. He ended...   (Associated Press)
A graphic shows the breakdown of revenue and expenses for the Business Software Alliance.   (Associated Press)
Adobe Photoshop Elements software on display at a Best Buy store in Mountain View, Calif. in this Sept. 17, 2007 file photo. An analysis by The Associated Press reveals that targeting small businesses...   (Associated Press)
Software by Microsoft and other companies are seen on display at a Costco store in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007. An analysis by The Associated Press reveals that targeting small businesses...   (Associated Press)
Different editions of the Windows Vista computer operating system are on display at a store in New York in this Jan. 30, 2007 file photo. An analysis by The Associated Press reveals that targeting small...   (Associated Press)
A certificate of authenticity is seen on a new Microsoft Vista package in Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007. An analysis by The Associated Press reveals that targeting small...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Related links

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

Microsoft  • Apple  • software  • piracy  • small businesses  • Adobe  • Symantec


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »