Software piracy case law from courts around the world
This library collects software piracy case law: court rulings, criminal cases and settlements on unlicensed software use, from India and Taiwan to Brazil and Argentina. Each case explains what the court decided and what it means for organizations that use software without a license. For guides and enforcement news, see the Newsroom.
Showing all 29 cases
Copyright Infringer Goes Insolvent After Landmark Judgment Won by Hexagon
A Portuguese furniture maker ordered to pay €328,950 for cracked ALPHACAM software is now insolvent. Read the redacted Lisbon court judgment.
Milan Court Sentences Software Pirate to Nine Months in Prison
A Milan court sentenced a man to nine months in prison and a fine for copying Materialise Magics 3D printing software at the company where he worked.
Delhi High Court Bars Cleantech Firm From Using Unlicensed SolidWorks, Citing Phone-Home Data
The Delhi High Court granted Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks an interim injunction against a cleantech firm running unlicensed copies on 12 computers.
Delhi High Court Bars Structural Design Firm and Its Directors From Using Unlicensed Bentley Software
Bentley Systems won an ex parte injunction in the Delhi High Court against a structural design firm and its directors over unlicensed software.
Siemens Wins ₹20 Lakh Over Unlicensed NX in India, and the Owner Goes to Jail for Contempt
A New Delhi commercial court awarded Siemens ₹20 lakh against a mould maker running NX on up to 10 computers with 2 licenses. The owner was jailed for contempt.
Vietnam Opens Its First Criminal Case Over Unlicensed Business Software
Police in Phu Tho opened Vietnam’s first criminal case over unlicensed business software under Article 225 of the Penal Code after searching five sites.
Brazilian Court Orders Engineering Firms to Pay Autodesk Ten Times the License Value
A Minas Gerais court ordered two engineering firms to pay Autodesk about R$177,300, ten times the license value, for unlicensed AutoCAD and Revit.
Argentine Appeals Court: Paying for Licenses After You’re Caught Isn’t Enough; You Must Uninstall
An Argentine appeals court rejected a limitation defense, set damages at the license price and ordered unlicensed Microsoft software removed.
Global Courts Embrace Vicarious Liability for Employee Software Piracy
Courts worldwide increasingly hold companies liable for software piracy by their employees, even without management’s knowledge. Key cases and lessons.
Malaysian Court of Appeal Holds Employer Liable for Employee’s Use of Pirated Software
Learn how an employer is held responsible for an employee installing cracked software in a landmark legal case.
Synopsys Wins $27.5 Million Over Counterfeit License Keys
A California federal court awarded Synopsys $27.5 million in DMCA statutory damages against Sunlune for using counterfeit license keys.
Delhi High Court Orders ISPs to Unmask Anonymous Software Pirates
Siemens and Bentley Systems obtained Delhi High Court orders forcing an ISP to identify the users behind infringing IP addresses.
Malaysian Engineering Firm Ordered to Pay Over USD 225,000 for Unlicensed Siemens NX Software
The Malaysian High Court ordered Penang engineering firm Unicorn Solutions to pay Siemens US$227,240 (RM1.05 million) for unlicensed NX CAD/CAM software.
Taiwan Court Orders US$360,000 in Damages and Jails Manager Over Two Unlicensed Silvaco Installs
A Taiwan court jailed a manager, fined his company and awarded Silvaco US$360,000, the full license price for two unlicensed machines.
Landmark €600,000 Copyright Judgment Shakes CAD/CAM Industry
The Court of Venice ordered Sistema S.r.l. to pay €100,000 per illegal installation of Hexagon’s VISI CAD/CAM software, €600,000 in total.
Director Held Personally Liable for Pirated Software Pays Up After Seizure Writ in Canada
Federal Court of Canada held a director personally liable for pirated Tekla Structures software (2021 FC 63). After a seizure writ, he paid CAD 80,000.
Delhi High Court Grants Injunction Against Indian Firm in Dassault Software Piracy Case
Explore the Dassault Software Piracy Case and its impact on digital IP enforcement in India. Learn about the court’s ruling.
Taiwan Court Fines Yulon Nissan NT$300,000 Over One Engineer’s Unlicensed Hexagon Download
A Taiwan court fined Yulon Nissan NT$300,000 under employer liability after one engineer used an unlicensed Hexagon FASTBLANK module.
Copyright victory for Microsoft, Adobe and Quest; Over 200 Systems Using Unlicensed Software
The Delhi High Court issued a permanent injunction against Chetu India after finding over 200 computers running unlicensed Microsoft, Adobe and Quest software.
Trimble Wins Rs. 58 Lakh Judgment in Indian Software Piracy Case
Gujarat court rules against Steel Konnect for Tekla Structures software piracy, awarding Trimble Solutions significant damages.
Cadence Wins $7 Million Judgment Against US and Mexican Engineering Firms
Cadence won a $6.98 million default judgment for copyright infringement and circumvention against Pounce Consulting in the US and Mexico.
Alberta Steel Fabricator Pays C$60,000 After a Decade of Unlicensed Tekla Use
After a decade of unlicensed Tekla Structures use and years of ignored notices, a Federal Court of Canada judgment ordered C$60,747.50.
Ubiquiti Pays Synopsys $18 Million to Settle Software Copyright Suit
Ubiquiti Networks paid Synopsys $18 million and accepted a permanent injunction to settle claims over counterfeit license keys.
Cameroon Court Convicts Company and Managing Director Over Pirated Sage Software
A Douala court convicted a Cameroonian company and its managing director for using pirated Sage software, with damages, a fine and a prison warrant.
Seoul High Court: Pirated Software Costs the Full License Price, However Briefly It’s Used
The Seoul High Court refused to prorate damages by days of use and ordered two companies to pay the full price of genuine licenses.
Vietnamese Naval Engineer Exposed as Global Software Piracy Kingpin
Explore the shocking case of software piracy in Vietnam revealing a senior engineer’s role in an international counterfeit network.
Criminal Court in India Jails Executive for Software Piracy in Landmark Case
In 2011 a Delhi criminal court jailed a company director without bail for using cracked commercial software, the first such case in India.
AWR v. ZTE: A Landmark U.S. Software Piracy Judgment with Global Impact
How AWR won partial summary judgment against ZTE in a California federal court in June 2011 over cracked license keys, and how U.S. courts can reach infringers abroad.
Delhi High Court Sets the Rules for Surprise Inspections in Software Piracy Cases
The 2008 Delhi High Court guidelines on surprise, court-appointed inspections in software piracy cases, from an Autodesk appeal.
What the cases show
Damages follow the license price
Courts in Portugal, Italy, Malaysia and Brazil set damages at the full license price per copy, and sometimes at a multiple of it.
See the cases →Companies and directors are liable
Courts hold the organization responsible for the software on its computers, and a director can be held personally liable.
See the cases →Piracy can be a crime
Executives and employees have been jailed or fined in India, Italy and Vietnam for using or copying cracked software.
See the cases →Courts act fast
Indian courts grant interim injunctions within days, ordering companies to stop using unlicensed software immediately.
See the cases →Know a business using unlicensed software?
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