Original URL: http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/10/31/glasgow_software_piracy/
Glasgow has been crowned the worst city in the UK for software piracy outside of Greater London.
In a bid to crackdown on the problem, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) will kick-off a month-long awareness campaign this week.
The BSA said from this Thursday (1 November) local businesses will be given a 30 day cooling off period to give them the opportunity to ensure that all software is fully licensed and legal.
BSA didn't offer any explanation for Glaswegian businesses's piratical tendencies. It said it will be writing to about 8,000 firms in the Scottish city warning them to dump any illegally installed applications before the 30 day period is up.
The BSA letter will advise local firms to audit all software installed on company-owned computer kit. They will also be asked to ensure license agreements are adhered to.
Businesses that hold their hands up and admit to having dodgy software installed during the campaign will not be slapped with legal action, said the BSA.
"We urge Glasgow's businesses to make the most of this 30 day period – come forward and make sure that your software licensing is up to scratch before it's too late," said BSA committee chair Ram Dhaliwal.
Unsurprisingly, some big name tech firms have thrown their weight behind the campaign to protect their intellectual property rights against software piracy including Apple, Microsoft, Symantec and Adobe. ®
Microsoft struggles to rid US shores of pesky pirates (10 June 2008)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/06/10/microsoft_pirates/
BSA dubs Manchester second worst for piracy (19 May 2008)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/05/19/bsa_manchester_software_piracy_federation/
Developing world buoys up software pirates (15 May 2008)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/05/15/bsa_software_piracy_survey/
BSA sinks teeth into US dentists and door makers (12 February 2008)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/02/12/bsa_us_unlicensed_software_claims/
Glaswegian piracy drive yields just 41 'possible' offenders (7 February 2008)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/02/07/bsa_claims_glasgow_piracy_success/
Software pirates put sizeable dent in UK economy (22 January 2008)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/01/22/bsa_software_piracy/
UK anti-piracy group gets new flag waver (6 November 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/11/06/fast_hires_lovelock_ceo/
Symantec gobbles up Vontu (6 November 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/11/06/symantec_acquires_vontu/
MS drops nagware validation for IE7 installs (5 October 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/10/05/ms_ie7_sans_wga/
Microsoft UK cracks another head over grey software (2 October 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/10/02/microsoft_uk_nabs_grey_market_software_vendor/
Pyramid flies white flag in Microsoft grey market row (27 September 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/09/27/microsoft_parallel_import_pyramid/
Microsoft, Feds, and Chinese authorities seize $2bn in pirated software (24 July 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/07/24/microsoft_fbi_bust_counterfeit/
Software piracy rates remain stubbornly stuck (15 May 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/05/15/software_piracy_static/
© Copyright 2008