Association against Unauthorized Software Use
As it has been mentioned in previous articles, creators and managers of computing programs, better known as software, are protected at an international level by different International Treaties regarding Intellectual Property and of course, Free Market Trading, also at a national level with its own legal framework.
In Mexico´s case, this is regulated by the Copyright Federal Law and its Handbook, however, infractions committed against computing program or software are regulated by the Industrial Property LAw and its Handbook as well as its sanctions. Regarding felonies against Intellectual Property these are stipulated in the Criminal Code.
The creators and holders of software relay on different rights of Intellectual Property, so to make them valid in an economic way and at an international level a world class company association has been created known as BSA | The Software Alliance which functions as main catalizer in the defense and management of the rights bestoe to companies aiming to create, improve and develop software.
This association helps to manage and defend Intellectual Property rights contained in the so mentioned legislation, representing and accompanying software creators and holders in different approaches of company, government and people negotiations, that might be violating legislations and encouraging different lawful actions after the Mexican Institute of Intellectual Property, the Copyright National Institution and/or Attorney General’s Office, so te stop and sanction behaviors that affect these rights.
Some of the behaviours aimed to fight are the unlicensed use of software, reproduce or exploit computing programs without previous authorization, software use with an expired license and the consequences that such activities might have such as fines or even prison time.