Autodesk pursuing software pirates

Autodesk, the maker of AutoCAD, the most commonly used computer-aided drafting software used by building engineers and architects, is stepping up its efforts to thwart software piracy. On August 8, Sandy Boulton, director of the Piracy Prevention Department at Autodesk said, “We are working diligently to prevent infringement through education as well as pursuing legal action against companies that violate copyright laws.”
The company estimates that for every legal copy of its software that is sold, five more are illegal. However, it assumes that typically only a few individuals within organizations are responsible for the illegal copying.
Since Autodesk set up its anti-piracy department in 1989, it has recovered $60 million through legal settlements with companies using unauthorized copies. Last year, for example, it reached a settlement with a civil engineering firm in North Carolina for $45,000 after it found the company had more copies of Autodesk software than it had licenses.