Amsterdam, 6 september 2011 — De Business Software Alliance (BSA), een non-profitorganisatie die zich ten doel stelt een veilige en legale digitale wereld te bewerkstellingen, heeft de grootste schadevergoeding ooit gerealiseerd. Drie BSA-leden krijgen een schadevergoeding van een Japans bedrijf dat zich bezighoudt met planning en productie van computersoftware. Dit bedrijf maakte inbreuk op softwarelicenties. De uitkering bedraagt 437,34 miljoen yen, wat gelijkstaat aan ongeveer 5,7 miljoen dollar. Het in Kanto gevestigde bedrijf gebruikte illegaal producten van BSA-leden Adobe, Autodesk en Microsoft.
Hieronder het volledige Engelstalige bericht.
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Marije Perdon / Naomi Samson
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BSA Members Secure Largest Ever Worldwide Settlement of US$5.7 million in Japanese Software Piracy Case
Computer Software Planning and Production Company to pay for software license infringement involving Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft products
Washington D.C., September 6, 2011 – The Business Software Alliance (BSA), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world, today announced the largest settlement agreement to date worldwide, secured by three members of the BSA with a Japanese computer software planning and production company based in Kanto, Japan, for software license infringement. The settlement amount of JPY437.34 million (approximately US$5.7 million) involved the rights infringement of various software products belonging to BSA members - Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft.
The case, which originated from a report lodged with the BSA Japan software piracy hotline and a request for action made by the BSA member companies involved, resulted in a software audit being undertaken at the premises of the company. Nearly 1,300 copies of unlicensed software, including Adobe® Photoshop®, Autodesk® MAYA®, and Microsoft Office®, belonging to Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft, were found. The representatives of three rights holders and the agent of the company went through a series of negotiations before a settlement agreement was made between the parties involved.
Robert Holleyman, BSA President and Chief Executive Officer said, “This is the largest case of software license infringement that BSA members have ever settled. Disappointingly, despite recording the world’s lowest PC software piracy rate at 20%, organizational end-user piracy still exists in Japan. This landmark result confirms that even in a relatively low piracy rate economy, more needs to be done. Our efforts will continue regardless, as we work together with governments and our members in promoting better intellectual property rights protection the world over.”
Chair of the BSA Japan committee, Sanae Matsuo, said, “The world's largest settlement originated from a report made to the BSA hotline. We continue to be surprised by the sheer number of reports being made of large organizations involved in software license infringements, despite a high level of awareness for copyright issues and intellectual property rights. We hope that this landmark case will serve as a timely reminder of the serious legal risks associated to the use of unlicensed software.”
Violation of software license agreements effectively means that the software copyright owner has been denied its rights to compensation for the efforts of its work. Besides assisting its members to exercise their rights, BSA also works towards promoting fair competition by ensuring that the rights of users of legal software are not compromised by unscrupulous competitors with a cost advantage through their use of unlicensed software.
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About BSA
The Business Software Alliance (
www.bsa.org) is the world’s foremost advocate for the software industry, working in 80 countries to expand software markets and create conditions for innovation and growth. Governments and industry partners look to BSA for thoughtful approaches to key policy and legal issues, recognizing that software plays a critical role in driving economic and social progress in all nations. BSA’s member companies invest billions of dollars a year in local economies, good jobs, and next-generation solutions that will help people around the world be more productive, connected, and secure. BSA members include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Bentley Systems, CNC/Mastercam, Corel, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, Microsoft, Minitab, NedGraphics, Orbotech, PTC, Progress Software, Quark. Quest Software, Rosetta Stone, Siemens, Sybase, Symantec, Tekla, and The MathWorks.