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by John Frostell, AGDA National President
Below is a letter from the BSAA regarding a Software
Truce to help firms get legal with their software licensing. You have
until June 30!
You may have heard that the Business Software Association of
Australia (BSAA) is focused on protecting software copyright and
preserving jobs in Australia through education, assistance and
litigation.
But did you know the BSAA is cracking down on organisations that use
unlicensed software? If your software is not licensed, YOU could be
the target of a BSAA investigation.
The BSAA is calling a Software Truce.
The BSAA Software Truce will run between May 1 and June 30, 2001.
Participating software companies are Adobe, Apple, Autodesk,
Filemaker, Macromedia, Micrografx, Lily Software Associates,
Microsoft and Symantec.
Use the Software Truce to review your software installations and
usage and, if necessary, acquire the licenses you need.
To participate in the Software Truce you must register at the BSAA
website at http://www.bsaa.com.au or call the BSAA Hotline on 1800 021 143.
Once you register you will receive a Software Truce Participation
Number. Terms and conditions do apply -- see details on the reverse
of this letter.
Your Software Truce Participation Number will give you immunity until
30 June 2001 to dispose of illegal copies of software and purchase
software licenses necessary to become legal without the threat of
legal action being taken against you by the BSAA or its members.
Not sure if you need to participate in the Truce?
Unauthorised copying is unlawful. If you use illegal software -- even
unintentionally -- you could face serious financial and legal
penalties that may damage your business and its reputation.
If you aren't sure if your organisation is using illegal software use
the Software Audit form (downloadable below) as a guide. For more
comprehensive information visit our website at http://www.bsaa.com.au to
download the more detailed BSAA Software Audit Guide or call the BSAA
Hotline on 1800-021-143. If you find that you aren't 100% licensed,
register for your Software Truce Participation Number then contact
your software vendor immediately and buy the software licenses you
need before the Truce ends on June 30, 2001.
Don't miss this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Jim Macnamara
Chairman -- BSAA
Download Software Audit form here (Requires [a legal version of] Excel):
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Truce Audit Form.xls