Legal action pending for software pirates

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has swooped on web-based counterfeit software suppliers in a worldwide investigation, resulting this week in legal action against dozens of people.

The BSA says its main focus is now the internet, where auction sites provide an ideal ground for peddling unlicensed software. The BSA has taken action against individuals operating through sites including eBay, QXL, Ricardo and Yahoo. The BSA estimates that 90 per cent of the software sold on the internet is pirated, and is part of an underground industry costing IT vendors $13bn a year.