VARs 'prone to piracy'
Federation Against Software Theft says resellers are among the most likely to engage in piracy
The Federation Against Software Theft (Fast) has claimed resellers are among the most likely parties to engage in piracy.
In Software Publishers: A Call to Arms, Paul Brennan, general counsel at Fast, said vendors face four main problems: under-licensing, incorporation of software into another product, 'carry-on' selling by resellers, and rogue employees.
"Resellers terminated by a vendor will sometimes continue to sell products and, when caught, some will buy the product from other sources, which is illegal," he said.
According to a recent Fast survey of 200 IT managers, the level of unlicensed business software is up to 60 per cent, more than twice the previous estimate.
Brennan said resellers must brush up on licensing laws, because reputation will be key.
But Bob Tarzey, services director at Quocirca, said the onus rests with the vendor to maintain VAR contracts.
"The amount of unlicensed software around is balanced by the oversold amount sitting unused on shelves, which is a result of vendors being disorganised, greedy and badly managed," he said.