Illegal software`s sales grows on auction websites by Romana Schlesingerova

Business Software Alliance (BSA) prevented the purchase of over 36 000 illegal software products, in the first 6 months of this year. The value of these copies presents more than 8 million American dollars. According to the company research, auction websites will provide an access to another enormous number of programs. Software corporations will loss about 16 millions dollars. "And this is the tip of the iceberg", said John Wolfe, director of internet enforcement at the BSA. "This represents auctions we have identified as infringing our members' copyrights and taken action to have them closed by the auction site owners. Some auction offers may lead to dozens or even hundreds of purchases of illegal software." added Wolfe. If you are buying your software through an auction website, you should be very careful about the price. Prices that are too lucrative are the major signs of an illegal product. Fake copies won`t supply the entire functionality and maintenance, as the legal ones. From the studies of BSA, your chance of purchasing the pirate copy from auction websites is lower than one to two. Another significant source of illegal products is P2P site (peer-to-peer). BSA monthly identifies around 200 000 illegal software folders, bidding via them. The policies were just recently straightened by BSA, focusing mostly on smaller and medium size business, rising up the charges and numbers of cases in front of the court. "To all offenders out there, large or small, our message remains the same," refers Wolfe. BSA is the leading global organization fighting for the safe and legal on-line world, cooperating with various governmental institutions, represents major software and internet corporations. It operates in 75 countries worldwide.

by Romana Schlesingerova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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