Digital downloads defeat piracy policies

Around a quarter of business software in use in the UK is illegal and the problem is growing, according to the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

Mark Floisand (pictured), UK chairman at the BSA, said that there are a number of reasons behind this growth, not least the fact many companies are unaware that they are using pirated or unlicensed copies.

A common entry point is the growing number of websites that offer pirated software, often called warez, and the ease with which illegal software can be downloaded from the internet.

The technical commands have become less complex, and transferring files has been helped enormously by the growth of broadband connections, the BSA said.

Also contributing to the problem are lax internal company auditing procedures, meaning that software is not managed effectively, and the absence of a policy concerning employees downloading software in the workplace.

In addition, the BSA pointed out that many smaller companies looking for a bargain buy software from unauthorised sources and distributors, unaware that much of this can be counterfeit.