CHASING SOFTWARE PIRATES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

This article reports on a campaign against the pirating of computer software in Italy launched by the Business Software Association (BSA). The pirating of computer programs in the country costs manufacturers $500 million a year. Armed with court orders, Italian court officials and lawyers for the BSA are coming in on companies to see if their software has been purchased legally or illegally copied. The first lawsuit was filed on April 6, 1989 against chemical company, Montedison SpA. BSA claims that 100 of the 120 personal computers inspected at Montedison were using illicit copies of Lotus Development Corporation's 1-2-3 spreadsheet program and Ashton-Tate Incorporated's dBase program. According to Gianni Catalfamo of Lotus, Lotus lawyers met with Montedison representatives in 1988 to discuss the problem, but were brushed off.