"If your immediate response was to think, "Well, at least that's one thing we don't have to worry about — we've got the original disks, packaging materials and registration documents all on file," you might want to rethink that assumption. What most people would consider proof doesn't stand up to the standards of the BSA, an alliance of software companies. None of the materials listed above would constitute legal proof of ownership in a BSA software audit.
"What's more, if you think that the BSA looks only for big-time offenders, think again. During the past year, several midsized companies have agreed to settlements running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In fact, small and midsized businesses are often more at risk than larger ones."
