Thou Shalt Not Steal Software!
by Robie Pace
Originally Published November/December 2004 issue Business Reform Magazine go there >>

Take a few minutes right now and think about all of the computers that you have in your company. A partial list will include desktops, laptops, servers, internet appliances and handheld computers. You know that these devices are vital to your business. You know that they require software to provide you with important decision making information. But did you know that some of this software may have not been legally purchased and properly licensed?

Your first thoughts as a business owner or manager might be that nobody in your organization would dare to do something like illegally loading computer programs. And for the most part you would probably be correct. Amazing as it might sound, however, the same person that wouldn’t dare shoplift a pack of gum from the grocery store, will not hesitate to pirate hundreds of dollars worth of software for their home and office use. Many times they do not even know that what they have done is wrong.

According to an article on the Business Software Alliance website www.bsa.org, four out of every ten software programs are pirated worldwide. The global piracy rate has increased to 36 percent with annual losses greater than $13 billion. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is a global, non-profit organization that represents leading commercial software developers. It educates the public about the ethical and digital security risks associated with unlicensed software use. Their studies show that there is a growing trend of this type of theft. And despite the efforts of many of the BSA members like IBM, Microsoft, Apple and Dell, there seems to be no end in sight for this trend.

So if this is such a growing problem, what can be at the root? We have become very accustomed to downloading items from diskettes, CD’s and the internet. The internet has become a vast super market for free downloads. Computer programs are digital and in most cases don’t even require you to have something physical in your hands to install. Once you have a digital copy of the program it becomes very simple to duplicate over and over again. Then all you need is to acquire the software key and you have in essence manufactured an exact duplicate of the company’s product. The more times duplication takes place, the easier it becomes for someone to hand the copy to someone else guilt free.

Some people try to rationalize their unauthorized use of software by stating that they want to try it out before they buy. They say that if the software program does what they want it to do then they will purchase a legal copy. The problem is that once the program is in place and being fully used, the purchase never happens. Others try to justify illegally loading software in a business environment because they feel it is too expensive. They know they need the tools to stay competitive but are unwilling to make the investment to equip legally. In essence, the mind begins to justify what the heart desires. Is this really the type of foundation that a business should be built upon? Should important daily business decisions be made using programs that don’t even belong to your company? Proverbs 10: 25 explains that, “When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation”.

Ok, so we know that God clearly states in Exodus 20:15, “Thou shalt not steal”. But what are some practical steps that can be taken to address the problem of software theft? BSA offers four main areas to consider: Develop policies and procedures, audit your software, determine what’s legal or illegal and establish a routine audit. Their website contains sample policies and links for companies that provide tools to audit your software. They also provide the following outline to help step through the process.

1. Be a responsible software user. Develop a company policy on software usage and have employees sign it annually.
2. Compare the number of software installations to the number of licenses. Obtain any licenses needed for compliance.
3. Centralize software purchases. Funnel purchases through a designated internal authority such as a purchasing department.
4. Ask that employees submit written requests for new software and see that the software manager signs and authorizes these requests.
5. Buy from authorized dealers, or through reputable application service providers (ASPs).
6. Obtain original materials, such as manuals, registration cards, license agreements and receipts with each purchase and keep them in a centralized file or location.
7. Have a clear policy on Internet usage, including the uploading and downloading of software, and enforce it.
8. Establish a regularly scheduled audit of the company’s software assets. Know what programs reside on your computers and network at all times.

By following these steps and the other guidelines provided by the Business Software Alliance, we can rest better knowing that our software is compliant. And as business owners and managers, we can be examples to those around us. When it comes to how we acquire software tools to run our businesses we can all be, “Salt of the earth and Light of the world”. Matthew 5: 13 – 16. We can build a business on a foundation of legal tools that God can truly bless.