Avoiding Software Piracy

It is fairly easy to avoid software piracy. Some simple steps are:

• Always buy from authorized resellers
• When in doubt contact your software manufacturer for a list of authorized resellers
• Do not buy educational versions of software unless you are authorized. I.e. a faculty member or student of a legitimate educational organization that has an agreement with your software vendor
• Always have a license agreement with your software vendor that meets your needs or the needs of your organization. Make sure each copy being used is licensed.
• Unless authorized in the licensing agreement, employees of an organization should not make personal copies of software used in an organization.
• When in doubt, check it out!

How to stay current and compliant

Software audits should be a regularly scheduled part of your ongoing software administration process. Your software audit will provide you with additional information to help you manage software costs and employee productivity.

To determine if you have the right number of licenses for installed software, you need to perform a software audit on all personal computers within your organization. Software audits are a standard element of any organization's asset tracking process.

• Scan your PCs for all Arkipelago software and record all version numbers and platforms.
• Total the actual installations and compare these totals to your licensing records. Your licensing records should include copies of all license agreements and the original receipts and invoices.
• Look for old licenses and standardize on the most recent version.
• Consider volume-licensing programs to simultaneously lower costs and improve employee productivity.
• Centralize software purchasing and record keeping, so you will always get the best price for your volume orders. Centralized software purchases make it much easier to track the status of software spending against budget allocation.
• Have all employees sign a copy of your organization's policy regarding appropriate use of software.
• Ensure up-to-date information regarding your organization's software licensing policies is readily available in hard copy form and on your organization's intranet. Publicize the correct processes for adding new computers, new applications, or new employees.
• Discourage individual purchases. Make employees aware of any existing volume pricing contracts for software so your organization can achieve maximum discounts.
• Provide employees with easy access to straightforward guidelines that will help them avoid software piracy.
• If employees are found to have pirated software, act in accordance with your organization's software policy.
• Formally revisit these topics on a regular basis to prevent piracy problems.

Stopping Piracy

The best way to prevent software piracy is to report it. If you know of an individual or organization that is illegally using Arkipelago software please contact us at +1 416 366 5566 ext.152

The information you provide to Arkipelago will be used by its affiliates and certain trusted vendors for the purpose of investigation and seeking remedies on behalf of Arkipelago and others. Your personal information will not be used for any other purpose without your permission.

Alternately, see the list of Software Piracy Reporting Hotlines worldwide.