BSA bigs up cloud as it nails latest victim

Exeter firm forced to cough up £10,000

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) says moving to cloud-based software is the best way to avoid falling foul of its iron fist as it revealed details of its latest settlement.

The anti-piracy body announced that it has swooped on an unnamed Exeter-based furniture manufacturer that was found to be using unlicensed copies of Adobe Photoshop and Autodesk AutoCAD software.

The firm in question, which the BSA said co-operated fully, was made to stump up £10,000 in damages and purchase more licensed software.

The anonymous furniture peddler also used the probe – which was triggered by a whistleblower – as an opportunity to take up the new cloud-based software available from Autodesk and Adobe.

Although Adobe's new cloud-based software hasn't been without criticism, the BSA plugged both vendors' cloudy wares by saying they can help reduce costs and improve flexibility in terms of where the software is accessed.

Cloud-based licensing can also cut the risk of using unlicensed software, added the BSA, whose members include not only Adobe and Autodesk but also Microsoft, Oracle, CA and Symantec.

Alyna Agnew, chairwoman of the BSA UK Committee, praised its latest victim's decision to move some of its software to the cloud.

"Cloud-based software is great for businesses; it is more cost-effective, flexible, and is easily scaled up," she said.

"It can also help reduce the risk of unlicensed software. However, it's important to note that it doesn't eradicate it altogether. Cloud software should be structured into SAM processes, rather than replace them, which will help companies remain compliant."