Different kinds of software are being used by companies for various purposes. You must purchase these or have the proper licenses to be able to legally use them on your company computers. But there are times that you will be unable to assess all of your computers and their applications due to their numbers so having an unlicensed software in one of them is possible.
The BSA or Business Software Alliance is an enforcement agency funded by interested companies to check on companies regarding the legalities of the applications they are using. Receiving a BSA audits letter means that they are starting an investigation regarding your usage of their licensed products. Here are some helpful tips whenever you found that particular letter in your mailbox.
Look for and prepare a legal counsel when you received the audit request from BSA. They have expert lawyers when it comes to copyright laws so be prepared with your own legal experts. Your lawyer should have experiences with complicated cases just like these so he can properly help you out.
Cooperate with them rather than face litigation at civil court but carefully. Do not ignore the letter and hope that they would not follow it up but instead coordinate with them and negotiate for the best settlement possible. Also make sure that the information that would be found during the audits will not be used against your company as an evidence of admission and will be used for settlement only by entering into a contract with their auditor.
Purchasing licenses after the letter has been received will not help your cause. Even uninstalling them during the audit would be of no help either. License shortages are common in companies, even among those who were very careful. Investigate when and which unit has the unlicensed products installed and check its user. He may be an informant of the BSA so investigate carefully.
Carefully preserve the evidences and keep it confidential so you can protect it from being discovered during the unlucky chance of facing litigation. Have your attorney oversee all auditing procedures and let him supervise the IT staffs to prevent them from disclosing unnecessary information. If your IT staff will be the only one preparing the audit report, there might be things that can be used against you so let your attorney help.
Start considering software asset management if you have not yet. This will help in keeping your licenses updated and may prevent future problems with BSA. Present this as part of your compliance plan to them so you can show them your seriousness in righting things with them.
Send your audit results once it is done but remember to indicate its confidentiality and that it would not be usable in a court of law. You can now wait for their response and send any other information that they require but always make sure to always have a confidentiality notice. If ever they send an email to you stating false facts, refute and rebut it with respect and firmness as not to appear contentious.
Negotiate for a possible settlement that could be complied by you. Do not readily agree on anything specially if the settlement price is too high and negotiate for a better deal. When you have come on an agreement, have a written release from them and a confidentiality contract, preventing the public from knowing this.
The BSA or Business Software Alliance is an enforcement agency funded by interested companies to check on companies regarding the legalities of the applications they are using. Receiving a BSA audits letter means that they are starting an investigation regarding your usage of their licensed products. Here are some helpful tips whenever you found that particular letter in your mailbox.
Look for and prepare a legal counsel when you received the audit request from BSA. They have expert lawyers when it comes to copyright laws so be prepared with your own legal experts. Your lawyer should have experiences with complicated cases just like these so he can properly help you out.
Cooperate with them rather than face litigation at civil court but carefully. Do not ignore the letter and hope that they would not follow it up but instead coordinate with them and negotiate for the best settlement possible. Also make sure that the information that would be found during the audits will not be used against your company as an evidence of admission and will be used for settlement only by entering into a contract with their auditor.
Purchasing licenses after the letter has been received will not help your cause. Even uninstalling them during the audit would be of no help either. License shortages are common in companies, even among those who were very careful. Investigate when and which unit has the unlicensed products installed and check its user. He may be an informant of the BSA so investigate carefully.
Carefully preserve the evidences and keep it confidential so you can protect it from being discovered during the unlucky chance of facing litigation. Have your attorney oversee all auditing procedures and let him supervise the IT staffs to prevent them from disclosing unnecessary information. If your IT staff will be the only one preparing the audit report, there might be things that can be used against you so let your attorney help.
Start considering software asset management if you have not yet. This will help in keeping your licenses updated and may prevent future problems with BSA. Present this as part of your compliance plan to them so you can show them your seriousness in righting things with them.
Send your audit results once it is done but remember to indicate its confidentiality and that it would not be usable in a court of law. You can now wait for their response and send any other information that they require but always make sure to always have a confidentiality notice. If ever they send an email to you stating false facts, refute and rebut it with respect and firmness as not to appear contentious.
Negotiate for a possible settlement that could be complied by you. Do not readily agree on anything specially if the settlement price is too high and negotiate for a better deal. When you have come on an agreement, have a written release from them and a confidentiality contract, preventing the public from knowing this.
About the Author:
Learn more about BSA audits, right now. You can also get more info about Bank Consulting Services, LLC at http://bankmanagementservices.com/services.html today.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire