Pay big vendor, small developer says
Federation Against Software Theft scores major victory for smaller players
The Federation Against Software Theft (Fast) has scored a victory for smaller players by securing a $14,000 copyright settlement for a self-employed software developer.
Thomas Kelty, a niche software developer specialising in technology for medical devices, contacted Fast last year, after discovering that software bearing more than a passing resemblance to his own was being used and distributed across Europe by a larger IT vendor.
The firm, which cannot be identified for legal reasons, had previously contracted Kelty to develop a specific software solution to help its business.
In March, after four months of correspondence, Fast forced the recovery of $14,000. It also negotiated terms to protect against any future misuse of Kelty's copyright.
In a statement Kelty said: "Throughout the four months of negotiation, Fast was persistent in its efforts and was successful in obtaining a settlement that was fair and just.
"The professional assistance provided by Fast has safeguarded my entire software development and intellectual property investment."
Julian Heathcote Hobbins, legal council for corporate and internet investigations at Fast, said: "This was a classic case of a larger corporation attempting to steamroller the smaller guy."