Operation Tracker
The Federation Against Software Theft' (The Federation) has launched Phase Three of Operation Tracker in its drive against internet software piracy, including such law breaking at work.
The powerful system - nicknamed the CCTV of the Internet - enables The Federation to trace those making software available illegally and the library of what they have on offer including from company connections to the Internet. Evidence of this will lead to identities allowing investigative action.
Tracker Three builds on the success of it two predecessors, which have seen Internet Service Providers ordered to hand over personal details of people using their networks to illegally share software and companies being confronted with evidence of instances of illegal software being made available from their systems.
Despite the accuracy of Operation Tracker, the emphasis of subsequent action is intended to focus on organisations and send a message to the directors who allow their employees to break the law. However, if there is infringement by individuals, The Federation will consider acting accordingly. Action by The Federation is primarily to combat the complacency of Directors towards the increasing problem of software piracy that it believes prevails in all sectors of corporate UK, both public and private.
Tracker Three investigations are expected to catch those who use the later generation file sharing technologies which work by sharing parts of a file, known as "swarming".
Corporate liability is something that management cannot afford to gloss over - misuse of software is something directors cannot plead ignorance to. If employees are using the corporate network for illegal activity, those in charge may be liable. Theft is theft and will be treated accordingly.
The campaign is founded on The Federation's understanding that staff may take advantage of their employers' high speed internet access and large storage capabilities in their enterprises for illegal file sharing.
The Federation has an excellent track record in battling software piracy and successfully lobbied for changes in legislation to ensure intellectual property rights are properly protected.
It has also been successful in conducting prosecutions on behalf of FAST members and, together with the Fast Standard for Software Compliance programme, has recovered over 8,000,000 for the industry, which even the end-users confirm is only the 'Tip-of-the-iceberg' of what they have purchased on the road to compliance.
Operation Tracker Three is not designed to achieve overnight results. Rather it is a long-term surveillance operation aimed at successfully tracing and bringing to book anyone found to be blatantly flouting the law.
The message is clear: sharing software unlawfully is wrong.