Trading Standards officers and the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) used new copyright powers earlier this week to probe a business in Cardiff to check its software licensing.

The team investigated the unnamed firm on Tuesday, according to FAST.

The organisation wrote to 200 businesses in Cardiff in July 2008 warning them that Trading Standards could cold-call on them to inspect their software licences for compliance.

Trading Standards said Tuesday’s visit was the fourth inspection of a company’s software estate in the Welsh capital. However, it didn't reveal the outcome of the probe.

"This investigation builds on the successful operation between Cardiff Trading Standards and FAST carried out in December last year [when a first round of investigations in the city were undertaken],” said Minister for Intellectual Property David Lammy MP.

“This sustained activity sends a clear and [sic] message that we are all serious about tackling the problem. Intellectual Property crime is estimated to have cost the software industry £925 million in the UK in 2007 alone.”

FAST general counsel Julian Heathcote Hobbins said the outfit was working with Trading Standards to “help educate ‘Corporate UK’ as part of our remit to aid businesses in getting the maximum cost effectiveness out their software.”

Changes to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act made in April 2007 gave Trading Standards officers the power to enter premises and seize goods and documents they believe to be involved in copyright infringement. ®