The History of The Federation Against Software Theft
2008
- 79% of technology aware business leaders polled in recent research by The Federation thought that businesses would try and save costs by not being correctly licensed in the current economic climate
- The Federation launched the Software Industry Research Board (SIRB) to carry out research on behalf of the industry into end user perceptions and attitudes towards licensing practices, software acquisition and related areas
- The Federation launched a software compliance awareness programme to advise local businesses on software use with pilot inspections in conjunction with Cardiff Trading Standards
- FAST joins forces with Investors in Software (IiS) to provide a unified message to end users on professional software asset management and licence management with support of all tier one vendors
2007
- After 13 years of campaigning s107A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 came into force in April 2007
- ISO/IEC 19770-1 SAM: Are You Ready? Self Assessment Engine (SAE) was launched. This self assessment tool jointly owned by ISO and IiS was brought to market in June 2007.
- Operation Tracker; file sharer ordered by the Court to pay costs and damages amounting to £3500 in the first action arising from Operation Tracker
- John Lovelock appointed Chief Executive on the retirement of Geoff Webster
- Federation embarks on ground breaking project with Trading Standards cold calling on software resellers using their powers under the Trade Marks Act 1994
2006
- Operation Tracker; application made under the Norwich Pharmacal principles at the High Court to secure names and addresses of account holders to track down illegal file sharers
- Operation Tracker; judgment for claimant at the High Court
- Investors in Software (IiS) launched. IiS, a not for profit organisation run by a group of industry professionals volunteering their time and sponsored by some of the most significant organisations in the industry today from outset. IiS was set up to support and advance professionalism in software asset management and related IT asset management, to enable individuals and organisations to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
- The ISO/IEC 19770-1 Software Asset Management Standard is launched with FAST and (IiS) having played a significant role in its development
- The Federation forged a coalition in its war against software theft by establishing a strategic alliance with the Korean Software Property-right Council (SPC), and the Association for Copyright for Computer Software (ACCS) in Japan and China
- Federation submits its Response to the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property in April
- The Federation makes record recoveries of £1.4m on behalf of the software industry in July
- FAST Legal Advisory Group member Beachcroft LLP and The Federation awarded the WORLDLeaders European IP Award 2006 for the best achievement in protecting IP on the internet for their work on Operation Tracker
2005
- The Federation launched Operation Tracker, an online tracking system to trace illegal software sharing over peer to peer networks
- Following the discovery of 5,800 illegal digital music files in a single UK organization, The Federation warned company directors that they are at risk form their IT departments
- Research by FAST Corporate Services revealed that 41% of UK businesses could be wasting thousands of pounds through over-licensing their software
2004
- The Federation celebrates 20 years of campaigning against software theft
- FAST Corporate Services membership reaches 2,800 UK organizations
- The FAST Standard for Software Compliance FSSC1-2004, developed in conjunction with the BSi, is launched
- Operation Red, second police warrant executed and two arrests made, interviewed by police and bailed. One male subsequently arrested thereafter
2003
- YouGov research on behalf of FAST revealed that almost one third (31%) of respondents would be ready to report their boss if they knew that he/she was making employees use illegal, or pirated, software
- Kings College NHS Trust and The Banks Group were the first members to receive the FAST Platinum Award.
- Operation Red; allegation of theft of source code; police interest secured and first warrant executed
2002
- The new staged FAST Corporate Programme was introduced
- FAST Limited launched TENAX, it’s US subsidiary
- FAST Corporate Services launched Audit Tool review tool on its member’s web site
- BSA research reveals that, at 26%, the UK software piracy rate had increased for the first time since 1994
- Research by FAST Corporate Services revealed that over 60% of companies contacted did not believe that they were 100% compliant
- ReportIT, a web enabling reporting tool developed and launched enabling users to alert FAST of any illegal software sites
- The Copyright etc. and Trade Marks (Offences and Enforcement) Act 2002 enacted
2001
- The Copyright etc. and Trade Marks (Offences and Enforcement) Bill was introduced to crack down on counterfeiting and piracy. Later, the Copyright, etc. and Trade Marks (Offences and Enforcement) Act 2002 increased the penalty for either way copyright offences from 2 to 10 years
- FAST research revealed that just under 70% of UK organisations considered the legal risk to their organisation in failing to be software compliant to be high
2000
- FAST received in excess of 380 reports of under licensing in the business community
- FAST Consultancy Services established, providing services to assist FAST Corporate members in achieving FAST Audit Certification
- MemberZone – the FAST Corporate member’s web site was launched
- The Human Rights Act 1998 came into force
- FAST Limited is formed with subsidiaries FAST Corporate Services and FAST Consultancy Services. The Federation Against Software Theft remains a separate and not for profit company limited by guarantee owned by its members
1999
- Civil search order gave FAST new powers to search companies suspected to be involved in software theft. Europe's First Integrated Anti-Piracy Hotline launched by FAST and other anti-piracy organisations
- FAST’s first audit product review was launched
1998
- FAST and KPMG research revealed that software theft cost the UK software industry £300 million
- FAST success story - A software dealer was sentenced to 5 month imprisonment for the sale and supply of pirated software
1997
- FAST’s corporate membership reached 1,000 organisations
- FAST and Trading Standards achieved a successful 3 month imprisonment of a Welsh man selling PCs loaded with unlicensed software
- After a joint action with Cambridgeshire Fraud Squad, seven individuals were sentenced to up to 2 years and 3 months in prison selling copied software on CDs at Northampton Crown Court
- FAST Software Management Day training course was introduced
- FAST web site launched
1996
- First FAST awards ceremony was held to recognize the UK’s first organisations to achieve FAST Audit Certification – Allied Dunbar Assurance, Pilkington UK Ltd, Woolwich Building Society, Surrey Heath Borough Council, West Lancashire NHS Trust, SWALEC and London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- The longest sentence so far of two years and three months was handed down at Liverpool Crown Court for an illegal bulletin board
1995
- Geoff Webster was appointed as FAST CEO
- CSM (Certified Software Manager) course & qualification was launched by FAST in the UK
- The annual FAST Audit Certification check was introduced
- FAST seized £7million of counterfeit software in a single weekend
- Through successful lobbying of PITCOM changes were made to the Trade Marks Act 1994 and Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994 thereby giving police and trading standards the duty to enforce against trade mark offences
1994
- FAST seized £60 million worth of counterfeit software
- FAST and the BSA set up the Software Crimeline which offered £2,500 reward for information which led to successful legal actions against organisations using illegally copied software
- As a result of FAST lobbying the Parliamentary IT Committee (PITCOM), counterfeiting became an ‘absolute’ offence with a 10 year penalty for infringement
- FAST celebrated 10 years of campaigning against software theft
1993
- EC Directive on software copyright implemented into UK law
- The first FAST Corporate Member Conference was held
- 500th end user organisation joined FAST Corporate Membership Scheme
- FAST and KPMG published first research into management attitudes to software theft, revealing that 1 in 7 directors supported sacking employees for copying software
1992
- The FAST Corporate Membership Scheme was launched
- The Font Anti-Piracy Group was established
- First ever research into software theft in the Apple Computer market showed software publishers were losing over £20 million each year in the UK
1991
- The first ever lawsuit was served against a public sector organisation for software theft offences
- Courts imposed the largest fine for counterfeiting software
1990
- MORI research showed software theft in the UK totalled over £300 million annually
- The Computer Misuse Act 1990 came into force
- The first ever UK lawsuit for corporate software theft was brought by FAST and the BSA
1989
- FAST made a submission to the European Council for a Directive on software protection
- The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 came into force. FAST began its first ever advertising campaign to highlight company directors’ liabilities under the new Act
- First company convicted for professional software counterfeiting
1988
- FAST gave evidence to the European Community on piracy and counterfeiting in connection with the Uruguayan round of the GATT Proposal
- The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 received Royal Assent
1987
- The FAST Legal Advisory Group (FLAG) was formed
- The British Government published the White Paper on Copyright and Patent Law
1986
- A West London retailer became the first person in the UK to be successfully prosecuted under the criminal provisions of the new legislation at Ealing Magistrates Court
- FAST’s membership reached 100
- An Exeter software pirate became the first European to be imprisoned for software theft offences when he was sentenced to 12 months
- The British Government published a Green Paper on Copyright and Patent Law
1985
- A Private Members Bill was proposed in the House of Commons by William Powell, MP for Corby, on behalf of FAST. The Bill received Royal Assent as the Copyright (Computer) Amendment Act
1984
- The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) was established by the British Computing Society’s Copyright Committee to lobby Parliament for changes to the Copyright Act 1956. FAST was the first software copyright organisation in the world