BSA settles with Accident Exchange

West Midlands-based company hit with a hefty post-Christmas bill over alleged unlicensed software

Accident Exchange has reached a £20,000 settlement with the BSA

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has reached a £20,000 settlement with accident management company Accident Exchange Group, for the alleged use of unlicensed Microsoft and Adobe software.

Following an extensive investigation in early 2009, and without admitting liability, Accident Exchange agreed to make the payment and also spent about £50,000 on purchasing legal software.

Julian Swan, director of compliance marketing EMEA at the BSA, said: "This is a hefty cost for any company to bear, particularly in this difficult economic climate.

"But as long as unlicensed software accounts for more than one in every four pieces of business software, we will continue to take a hard line. Eventually the message will get through and businesses will take software licensing as seriously as they take other compliance issues, such as health and safety."