Software audits are on the rise—a fact well-documented by Gartner and others. Software giants have long recognized that audits are a way to generate additional revenue, and vendors like Oracle, Microsoft and IBM have developed reputations for being very aggressive during the audit process. Audits are also increasingly expensive for licensees. A recent report showed companies have a 9% chance of concluding an audit by writing a check greater than $5 million and an approximately 25% chance of spending $1 million or more.
As bad as these numbers are, it is no longer just the licensing giants your company has to worry about. A new wave of venture capital-backed, second tier software vendors has borrowed from the Oracle playbook and are employing downright audacious tactics through the course of their license audits. And, importantly, they are not afraid to bring litigation to test their theories.
Beeman & Muchmore is proud to join forces with our partners Dr. Michael Corey and Dean Bolton in order to present the free webinar: “Beware Software Licensing Trolls: How They Are Monetizing Licensing Agreements and Putting Your Business at Risk.” Needless to say, we are very excited to once again collaborate with LicenseFortress.
Please review the program description and webinar details below, and we hope that you can join us on November 2nd!
In the recent past, there were the so-called “Patent Trolls”, a derisive term for entities exploiting the patent system by amassing low-value portfolios and indiscriminately filing infringement lawsuits for the sole purpose of extracting “cost of defense” settlements. Today, targeted legislation and court decisions have lessened the pervasiveness of Patent Trolls.
Filling the vacuum and riding on the coattails of the increase in software audits, there is a new breed of vendors we have named “Software Licensing Trolls.” Often backed by venture capital, these License Trolls weaponize unique aspects of the software audit process to squeeze millions out of unprepared victims in a manner similar to Patent Trolls.
Takeaways from this presentation:
Don’t miss this live event on Tuesday, November 2 @ 11 am PT / 2 pm ET.
Register now to attend Beware Software Licensing Trolls: How They Are Monetizing Licensing Agreements and Putting Your Business at Risk.
Published on 10/21/2021
Software licensors are known for vague contracts—they’ve made a business of it.
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