BSA

The Business Software Alliance represents the interests of the world's commercial software industry in the international marketplace. It monitors non-licensed use and acts to enforce compliance.

SIIA

The Software & Information Industry Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA works internationally on relations with governments, education of businesses and intellectual property protection.

FAST

The Federation Against Software Theft (The Federation) was the world's first anti-software piracy organization and is based in the U.K. It raises awareness, lobbies government and enforces member rights.

CAAST

In 1990, the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft (CAAST) was formed by software manufacturers to reduce software piracy. CAAST educates key audiences and is affiliated with the Business Software Alliance.

RIAA

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade organization representing the U.S. recording industry. It promotes its members' interests with respect to the legal climate for intellectual property and represents the recording industry to business. Its members produce the vast majority of all legitimate audio recordings.

Legislation

Several pieces of legislation give teeth to enforcement efforts and define organizational responsibilities:

• Title 17

  U.S. Code Title 17, the federal copyright law.

• DMCA

  The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law. It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services that are used to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works (commonly known as DRM) and criminalizes the act of circumventing an access control, even when there is no infringement of copyright itself. It also heightens the penalties for copyright infringement on the Internet.

• UCITA

  The United States Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) is a proposed law. It intends to set up consistent rules to govern software licensing, online access, and other computer information transactions. UCITA has been extremely controversial and is opposed by some consumer groups and state attorneys general, because they believe it is too favorable toward software producers.

• NET

  The 1997 "No Electronic Theft (NET)" Act strengthens the copyright and trademark laws. It ammends Titles 17 and 18 of the U.S. Code to clarify the law’s application and penalties.

• Sarbanes-Oxley

  The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 made far-reaching reforms of U.S. business practices. The legislation establishes new standards for all U.S. public company boards, management, and public accounting firms.  The impact for IT management is the increased focus on controls on processes that involve the assets of the company.  Sarbanes-Oxley has led to increased focus on COBIT®, Control Objectives for Information and related Technology published by ISACA, http://www.isaca.org/ as well as ITIL, the Information Technology Infrastructure Library®, published by The Office of Government Compliance (OGC) http://www.ogc.gov.uk/guidance_itil_4438.asp.