The Israel representatives of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) are setting out to file charges against two unnamed large organizations that have allegedly fired two workers for refusing to use pirated software. The BSA is an international group made up of software companies that fights software piracy. The actions are the first of their kind in Israel. They come in the wake of investigations by the US Trade Commission into the state of software copyright infringement in Israel as well as recent public comments by senior Microsoft officials about the high levels of suspected copying in Israel. Recently the BSA sent letters to 30,000 small Israeli businesses informing them of the law against piracy and possible fines. Illegal use of software in Israel carries a maximum fine of $5,400 although new legislation is expected soon to strengthen the law.
