BSA sues five UK businesses for software piracy

The BSA is sueing five UK companies for allegedly using unlicensed software, and it has announced legal settlements with five more organisations.

The companies it is suing are:

• 
  
• Baines & Ernst Financial Management - a debt management company;
  
• Climax Development - a video game technology and content developer;
  
• Claranet Limited – an Internet Service Provider;
  
• Hussmann Europe Limited - a provider of merchandising and refrigeration products for the commercial food industry;
  
• Learoyd Packaging - a division of API Group plc

The companies and organisations it has reached settlement with for using unlicensed software are
are:

• 
  
• Price’s Candles, a candle manufacturing company based in London, settled for £9,500
  
• The Trafford Centre, a retail and leisure complex in Manchester, settled for an undisclosed sum
  
• Bousfield Heatons Limited, a printing chemicals manufacturing firm based in Bristol, settled for £65,000
  
• Online Travel Corporation plc, a London based Internet travel technology and distribution business, settled for £40,000
  
• Gloucester City Council settled for £12,000

The BSA says it is currently investigating more than 300 UK organisations for suspected piracy. Most names come through tip-offs (there's a reward of up to £10,000) from disgruntled present and former employees. So we guess the message is: if you can't be honest, make sure you're nice to your staff. ®