Illegal Software Scan Hitting Businesses

Shropshire businesses have been miss-sold software worth hundreds of pounds, a county IT expert has revealed.

Business owners assume that when buying new computer equipment that their software will be legal, but for some businesses this is not always the case.

And it is a world-wide problem as Microsoft itself has recently hired investigators to track down businesses that are selling computers with pirated software installed.

Telford based IT business Bespoke Computing Ltd has recently seen a number of cases where local businesses have been miss-sold software worth hundreds of pounds.

Chris Pallett, of Bespoke Computing Ltd, said:

“We had one instance recently where a Shropshire based IT company had quoted and invoiced for the full Microsoft Office suite under OEM license.  The machine was then supplied with a pirate license taken from a volume agreement.

There are several ways to spot unlicensed software such as poor quality artwork on packaging and media, or another person’s details on registration screens.  You may also be missing licensing documentation or your supplier may refuse to provide it, it may also be very cheaply priced.

If you suspect that software you have been sold is illegal or you suspect foul play, visit the Federation Against Software Theft website.

Business owners who are looking to buy legitimate software can get advice from Chris and the team at Bespoke Computing, who are happy to do a software audit or advice on the best way to buy software.

For more information contact Bespoke Computing on 01952 303404.