"This complaint led to police raids on the firm's premises"

Oh really? Why were the police involved in what would appear to be a civil matter? What crimes were suspected, what evidence was found, and was there or will there be a criminal prosecution?

Mike

What has Chuck Norris got to say about it though? Discuss.....

So the management were shocked that they relied on an under resourced individual.. and its said individuals fault?

a scapegoat?? Get real! more like pin the blame on the donkey.

Forget ye not that september the 19th be international 'speak like a pirate' day. Don't be sayin ye wern't fore warned, ye scurvy dor. arrr

I'd be willing to bet that the "single individual", was under pressure from the management to get the mentioned expansion done asap and with an unrealistic budget.

The media outlets I worked for all had software licence violations of one type or another, for similar reasons.

It can by very "tempting" to just install the apps as needed.

That doesn't condone it though.

Don't Autodesk and Avid still use dongles ?

If so... they had to do more than simply install the apps with the same registration code. A bit more... "intent"

I heard this "unamed organization" was in fact the RIAA!

Why would the BRITISH Software Association go after the Recording Industry Ass. of AMERICA?

Stop posting tripe.

As for the BSA - they work on the basis of guilty until proven innocent - if you did pay for the licences for all your proggies than through poor filing couldn't show them to the BSA then your software is deemed illegal and you are fined/ass raped.

They do not try to protect British industries and help them follow guidelines, reprehending a company when needs be but go after everyone like a vicious pit bull so they can shout from the highest hill what a great job they're doing, how much they're needed and how much more funding they will need.

Anyone who lets them into their company without a court order should be sacked on the spot/made the scapegoat WHEN things go sour (not IF).

Why the police ?

Software theft is a crime.

Or: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,2126185,00.htm

...one legged Pirates don't kick so much ass.

it's the Business Software Alliance..... NOT the British Software Association.

Business Software Alliance (BSA) head office is in New York with it's European office in London and Asian office in Singapore

http://www.bsa.org/Contact%20BSA.aspx

as for the RIAA...

I can't see the RIAA having much use for Autodesk or Avid software but I am wrong fairly often.....

Lee.

Hmm.. maybe it was a PR arm of the Pastafarian Church and they were simply celebrating Talk Like A Pirate Day a bit early....

Over here in the USA the BSA is the Busness Software Alliance

"Why would the BRITISH Software Association go after the Recording Industry Ass. of AMERICA?"

BSA is actually the Business Software Alliance, as the Register article makes clear.

- Erik

Let A. Merkin be correct.

I'd love to hear the RIAA had been arse-raped for rampant PIRACY.

That'd rank up there with what happened to SCO.

I too don't understand the police involvement (as others have said above)

Not paying for enough licences is a civil matter?

OK If I was selling pirate software on a car boot, or had a factory making pirate CD's then yes,. I'd expect the police to turn up eventually.

..... but if I installed my copy of windows at home on 2 of my computers (which would be a licence violation) then can I expect the police to be able to kick my front door in at 4am and raid my house?