A Hartland firm has agreed to pay $150,000 to the Business Software Alliance (BSA) after a self-audit revealed the use of unlicensed computer software at the company.
The firm, Commercial Communication, Inc., paid the fine after the audit revealed it was using more copies of Adobe, Autodesk, Macromedia, Microsoft and Symantec software programs on its computers than it had licenses to support.
The BSA recently announced a "grace period" lasting through May, during which Milwaukee-area businesses can report unlicensed copies of software, and they make appropriate licensing payments without being fined.
The settlement with Commercial Communication, a printing company, came after BSA contacted the company though its attorneys, according to Bob Kruger, vice president of enforcement for the BSA. Commercial Communications cooperated with the BSA and voluntarily conducted the self-audit.
"The settlement with Commercial Communication demonstrates why every organization needs to pay close attention to software management practices," Kruger said.
Sue Armstrong of Commercial Communications said "Our company has always respected intellectual property rights, and is pleased that we were able to work with BSA to get the matter resolved. We have taken a number of additional precautionary measures to prevent the situation from occurring in the future."
Last year, two other Milwaukee area firms paid fines to BSA after self-audits revealed unlicensed software.
A study conducted for BSA (www.bsa.org) found that Wisconsin had a piracy rate of 15.8% for business software during 2000, well below the national average of 24%.
May 10, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
