The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has settled with aLiverpool-based man that had been suspected of selling illegal software online.
The case first came to light last October when the BSA startedan investigation into John Rothwell, who allegedly sold its investigatorsmultiple pirated copies of design software with a total retail value upwards of£2,000 for around £29.
Rothwell settled with the BSA for £5,000 in damages concludinga legal procedure that was kicked off when the lawsuit was filed last autumn.
The BSA had discovered that iOffer.com, where Rothwell was a seller, wasselling illegal products including copies of Adobe, Avid, CorelDRAW andMicrosoft Office 2007.
The website billed itself as a ‘trading community’ providing an ‘alternativeto frenetic and hyper-competitive web marketplaces’.
But since the lawsuit was filed Rothwell ceased trading in illegal softwareand has now come to an agreement with the BSA.
Julie Strawson, chair of the BSA UK member committee, said that although the actionagainst Rothwell might not have seemed to be serious it did have an impact onlegal competitors.
“We hope an important message has been conveyed: if you’re purchasingsoftware over the Internet and the price looks too good to be true, it probablyis – there is a strong chance the product could be pirated,” she said.
“If you are selling unlicensed software over the internet, think about theeffects and remember – you are not anonymous and you will get caught,” she added.
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