According to a recent survey by PC World Business (PCWB) nearly half of all SMEs in Britain are lacking any form of software licensing policy and most are unaware of the legal obligations of having software licenses.

John Lovelock - Chief Executive

John has been with the Federation Against Software Theft since December 2002, having run his own business and several others at Managing Director and General Manager levels for twelve years in the UK after many years in business in South Africa.

He is Chairman of the Alliance Against Intellectual Property Theft’s Digital Group, which comprises the music, film, games, publishing and copyright licensing industry sectors, and is responsible for lobbying Government on law changes to protect their members rights, as well as education and profile of the digital content industry.

From his knowledge gained in the IT Sector and legal issues surrounding IT Compliance within The Federation, coupled with a vast experience in commercial businesses, John offers a down-to-earth, entertaining, succinct blend to presentations.

The Federation Against Software Theft (The Federation) was set up in 1984 by the British Computer Society's Copyright Committee. It was the world's first anti-software piracy organisation working to protect the intellectual property rights of software publishers. Its' first action was to raise the awareness of software piracy and to lobby Parliament for changes in the Copyright Act 1956 to reflect the needs of software authors and publishers. This campaign was successful and it has since been able to influence other legislation that impacts on the proper safeguarding of software. The work of The Federation in this area has directly influenced the way that software copyright law and investigations are carried out in many other countries.

It is also unique in that it is the only association in the world that represents both software publishers and end users. All the other associations concerned with software compliance represent software publishers only and therefore, have an approach that is not geared towards proactively helping organisations and end users who are actually responsible for managing software.

Clearly, with a long history of working with both sides, The Federation has built up a high degree of expertise and knowledge that can be drawn upon by members to help in the day to day management of software and any issues that may arise. In addition, any work undertaken by third parties on their behalf is subject to a quality control process. All installations are infringing unless you have a valid licence.

Awareness and Education

The Federation continues to lobby for changes to the law to keep pace with the changing face of technology, but it is also active in ensuring that its members, both Corporate and Industry, do not fall behind in the knowledge race.

The FAST Standard

Within the corporate environment, FAST Corporate Services offer The FAST Standard for Software Compliance (FSSC1-2004), a private standard developed in collaboration with the British Standards Institute. The Standard is an educational programme for end-user organisations who want to establish a compliant and cost effective IT environment and in particular stresses the importance of regular auditing and ongoing asset management.

Consultancy

FAST is also able to provide, through its own staff and a network of independent consultants, additional help and guidance to meet the needs of its Corporate Members. This consultancy is available to achieve specific tasks or to meet individual requirements. Visit the FAST Consultancy web site here: www.fastconsultancy.com

State of Software Licensing Compliance & Piracy/b>
29th July, London.