Is your company an accidental software pirate?

Software license compliance is one of those perennial issues that strike some as hum-drum these days.

There are lots of smaller, by-the-bootstraps companies that take a cavalier attitude toward licenses. But most companies that hit a certain maturity level realize that non-compliance can lead to additional costs and headaches, such that remaining fully licensed is the better option. In all too many cases, however, companies want to remain compliant but face very complex, sprawling software deployment landscapes.

They can easily end up being accidental software pirates.

"Historically software vendors have tended to take a more relaxed approach to software 'over-use,' but this is changing," notes a commentary from Lexology. Faced with the "prospect of declining numbers of new sales" as some organizations slash IT budgets, some vendors are adopting an "increasingly aggressive" stance on license tracking and enforcement. You may notice that some of your vendors are stepping up their activity in this area, as revenue concerns on their part escalate.

Trade organizations as well continue to be active in the anti-piracy fights. Check out the recent activity at the SIIA and the Business Software Alliance.

"It is perhaps not surprising then that even the largest and most sophisticated companies are finding it hard to manage the problem. Indeed, a recent survey by Flexera Software and research group IDC found that 85% of respondents highlighted some level of noncompliance with the terms" of their software licenses. The last thing you want is to be embarrassed by becoming an accidental pirate.

So it would behoove all to take a look at their license issues. 

For more:
- here's an article with some best practices