Businesses 'the biggest users of illegal software'

Companies installing programmes onto several computers are the largest users of illegal software‚ according to one expert.

The largest users of illegal software are companies who, often unwittingly, break licensing rules by installing programmes on several computers, it has been claimed.

Julian Swan, EMEA director of compliance marketing for the Business Software Alliance, explained that many firms use programmes on more machines than they have licences for.

Some of these companies, particularly those involved in mergers and acquisitions, simply lose track of what software they are licensed to use.

Others engage in so-called hard-loading of software without realising that what they are doing is against the law.

Alternatively, poor management means that companies do not have the right policies in place to prevent staff from binging software in from home.

Mr Swan said this differs from deliberate counterfeit, whereby people download software illegally on the internet or purchase "dodgy" discs from car boot sales.

"That's one aspect of the problem, but by far the biggest area is companies using more than they have licenses for," he remarked.

His comments come after a report from the BSA revealed that the UK's software piracy rate rose to 27 per cent last year, up from 26 per cent in 2007. Industry losses as a result of the problem rose to a record at £1.49 billion.

Mr Swan said it is important to raise awareness of the intellectual property issue, as the majority of companies that are engaging in software piracy are doing so unknowingly.

Last month, Microsoft confirmed that it had reached deals with 12 more UK resellers found to be offering pirated software to customers.