Nike Sued for Running Pirated Software

The California-based mostly software firm Quest is suing Nike for copyright infringement. Nike stands accused of making use of pirated computer software keys which are usually only offered as a result of unauthorized internet sites. The program firm uncovered the alleged copyright infringements through an audit and states that Nike refuses to acquire the further licenses.

Nearly each individual piece of software package is cracked and produced available on the Internet, by means of a myriad of pirate resources.

These are normally visited by normal men and women out to preserve a handful of bucks, but in accordance to Quest Computer software, pirated license keys uncovered their way to Nike’s office as properly.

The organization, identified for developing a wide variety of databases program, filed a lawsuit in an Oregon federal court docket this 7 days, accusing Nike of copyright infringement. Both events have experienced a application license arrangement in area due to the fact 2001, but for the duration of an audit very last year, Qwest seen that not all goods have been adequately accredited.

“That audit disclosed that Nike had deployed Quest Application Items considerably in surplus of the scope authorized by the parties’ SLA,” Quest writes in their grievance, filed at a federal court in Oregon.

Quest keeps a database of all legitimate keys and discovered that Nike made use of “cracked” versions, which are usually circulated on pirate web sites. This is one thing Nike will have to have been informed of, it adds.

“The audit also unveiled that Nike had applied pirated keys to bypass the Quest License Critical Process and made unauthorized copies of particular Quest Computer software Products and solutions by breaking the technological security actions Quest experienced in area,” Quest writes.

“Upon data and belief, to receive a pirated vital for Quest Software program Merchandise, customers should affirmatively seek out out and acquire pirated keys on download web pages acknowledged to targeted traffic in counterfeit or illegally downloaded intellectual house, this kind of as BitTorrent.”

Pirated keys?

When the computer software company located out, it confronted Nike with the findings. Having said that, according to the complaint, Nike refused to purchase the supplemental licenses that were needed for its setup. This prompted Quest to go to court docket as a substitute.

At this point, it is not completely clear to Quest how many pirated keys were being used on Nike computer systems. That’s one thing the firm would like to discover out during the discovery process.

Quest is selected, even so, that its client crossed a line. It accuses Nike of copyright infringement, breach of contract, and violating the DMCA’s circumvention provisions.

The firm requests an injunction restraining Nike from any infringing activity and needs compensation for the damages it endured as a end result. The specific peak of these damages will have to be decided at demo.

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A duplicate of the complaint is readily available in this article (pdf).