London-based architects Archetype Associates limited have been forced to pay a £10,000 settlement after allegedly being caught with underlicensed copies of Adobe Photoshop and Autodesk AutoCAD on seven computers, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) announced today.

The case follows the BSA’s two month long London campaign to raise awareness of the risks of software piracy after recent research revealed local businesses are using illegal software worth £149 million each year. One in five pieces of software in the capital is being used illegally and this represents a significant threat to London’s business environment. The BSA encourages businesses to purchase software from reputable sources and demonstrate best-practice software management in order to avoid a similar situation to that of Archetype Associates.

“Software piracy is a major problem in London,” comments Alyna Cope, spokesperson for BSA’s UK Country Committee. “Following our recent campaign, enforcement action will be taken against non-compliant businesses. We want to promote the long-tem value of software, reducing the risk of legal action and financial repercussions to businesses further down the line.”

In addition to the legal costs, BSA advise, businesses could face numerous other hidden costs could occur from risks associated with illegal software use, including data loss, file corruption, security issues, and the negative effects of reputational damage.