Which of the following is a trade group that is funded through dues based on member companies’ software revenues and through settlements from companies that commit software piracy?
A) SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) Institute
B) Business Software Alliance (BSA)
C) Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
D) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is B) Business Software Alliance (BSA).
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is a trade group that represents the global software industry by advocating for policies that foster technology innovation, fighting software piracy, and promoting lawful software use. Its members include major software companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and others. One of its funding sources comes from dues paid by member companies, which are based on their software revenues. Additionally, BSA is funded through settlements and penalties from companies that are found guilty of software piracy.
Software piracy is a major issue for the software industry, leading to lost revenues and creating an unfair playing field for businesses that follow licensing laws. BSA works to combat this by investigating allegations of illegal software use and enforcing copyright laws. The organization has been involved in numerous high-profile lawsuits and settlements over the years, aiming to discourage piracy and educate businesses on the importance of legal software use.
BSA also plays a crucial role in shaping public policy related to intellectual property and technology laws. By working with lawmakers, the group strives to create a legal framework that benefits both software developers and consumers. Furthermore, BSA promotes awareness through its campaigns, encouraging companies to comply with software licensing requirements and to respect intellectual property rights.
In contrast, organizations like SANS Institute (A) focus more on cybersecurity education and training, ACM (C) is a professional association for computing professionals, and IEEE (D) is a technical organization dedicated to advancing engineering and technology standards, with no primary focus on software piracy. Therefore, BSA is specifically dedicated to addressing software piracy through funding, advocacy, and enforcement.