how does software piracy affect you?
SDS2 continues to invest millions of dollars in software development to benefit our users. When you purchase SDS2 and pay software support fees, you are helping us to continually enhance SDS2. Once companies begin using their stolen versions of SDS2, they become your competitor. They may be bidding on the same jobs and winning them because they can undercut your bid.
Not only do they de-value your investment, but more importantly, by using these vendors you might be putting yourself at legal risk. Knowingly working with vendors using illegal SDS2 software makes you liable. It is even possible to be held liable in some cases when you are unknowingly working with vendors using stolen software.
Under Software Anti-Piracy law any person or business that knowingly uses illegal software or knowingly uses vendors using illegal software is liable. It is also possible for persons or businesses that unknowingly use illegal software or vendors using illegal software to be held liable as well, if a substantial profit is made from the use of the illegal software.
Simply put, if you know and work with a person or company that uses illegal software, you are liable, even if you don’t actually use the illegal software. Even if you don’t know the vendor you work with is running illegal software, if that software is discovered to be illegal and you have profited substantially from the project, you still have some risks.
how to verify legal sds2 users
We are aggressive in stopping this activity and started the SDS2 Legal campaign to help the industry self police this crime. Protect yourself by making sure you are working with a true SDS2 customer.
SDS2 implemented a customer ID system that allows our customers to protect themselves from liability in the use of illegal software. Each SDS2 customer has been given a unique ID code. We encourage you to use this ID code on all bids, outgoing documents, and all of your SDS2 drawings. This will provide legal proof that your company is a legal SDS2 operator.
Customers, or anyone working with a vendor using SDS2, can then utilize our website and enter the unique ID code using our verification tool. With that tool, you can verify that you are working with a legal SDS2 company. Together, we can help eliminate the market for those using illegal software.
If you find that you are not working with a legal SDS2 user, please contact SDS2 and report this abuse to your sales representative. All reports will be kept anonymous. Reporting illegal software use protects you from liability and protects true SDS2 customers.
