Approximately 80,000 small companies in the UK have been advised to trash letters sent from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) after it was accused of using subterfuge to invade privacy and gain sensitive commercial information. The attack comes from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) which says it is surprised that companies such as Microsoft and Lotus and others appear to lend their support to such questionable tactics.
The BSA, which campaigns against software piracy on behalf of major corporations, was accused of using language that deliberately misleads recipients to believe that they are obliged to respond and disclose information to the BSA. The ACCA claims that there is an implicit threat in the letters use of the phrase final reminder and you have seven days to complete and return the enclosed BSA software declaration form. The BSA said the ACCA had been sent advance information about the campaign and it was surprised at its response. It said the overwhelming reaction was positive and 30% of those companies mailed had responded to their letters.
