FAST takes piracy fight to the North East

Anti-piracy body plots new software misuse education campaign

The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) is embarking on an education campaign in the North East to highlight the economic impact of software misuse.

The anti-piracy body's "Software - Stay Legal" campaign will be geared towards educating the region's Trading Standards officers about the link between software theft and job security in the North East.

The education drive will be launched at an event in Gateshead on 29 March, which will feature contributions by software vendors Sage, Adobe, Microsoft and Symantec.

It follows on from the launch of a similar campaign by FAST in the North West last November.

FAST chairman Phil Keown said the aim of the campaign is to dismiss the widely held view that software theft is a "victimless crime".

"The North East is a vital region for the UK's technology industry as it plays home to a number of world-beating software companies and hundreds of jobs are dependent on protecting their intellectual property," he explained.

"That is why we are working hard to educate Trading Standards across the region, giving them the tools and knowledge to combat this crime."

Sarah Graham, software licensing manager of Gateshead-based accountancy software vendor Sage, added: "Protecting intellectual property rights is at the heart of a growing regional economy and Sage is proud to be part of this initiative."