Soho House, the UK's luxury private members club group, has agreed a settlement with the Business Software Alliance (BSA) for alleged unlicensed use of software.
The London-based company, famous for its Soho House, Babington House and Soho House New York venues, was investigated by the BSA for alleged under-licensing of Microsoft software.
The parties reached a settlement and Soho House subsequently paid an undisclosed sum to the BSA.
The announcement comes only two weeks after the BSA launched a campaign to crack down on software piracy in the capital. The illegal use of software is a major problem in the UK, with IDC figures released this month revealing that GBP149m (USD242m) worth of software was illegally installed in 2008 in London alone.
Whether deliberate or accidental, it drains revenues that technology and creative companies would otherwise invest in R&D and jobs, stifling the growth and development in a sector that employs over half a million people in London, according to the BSA.
The consequences can also be felt within businesses: using illegal software could threaten companies’ IT systems, including security and software failure, file corruption and data loss, in addition to the considerable and potentially irreversible damage to a firm’s reputation if caught, says the BSA.
Alyna Cope, spokesperson for BSA’s UK Country Committee, commented:
“Businesses which persist in installing and using illegal software are infringing copyright legislation and directly threaten the business environment at the heart of London’s growth – particularly in the vital technology and creative sectors. The amount of software used illegally in the capital remains unacceptable, and we’ll continue to take strong enforcement action to bring the piracy level down.”
The software health check campaign was launched by the BSA at the start of June 2009 with the backing of several London MPs and the London Chamber of Commerce. It aims to raise awareness around software piracy and to educate businesses on the importance of being fully licensed.
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