A software audit is a complex, arduous, and time-consuming
process for the average company. Software auditing entities like
the Business Software Alliance ("BSA") and Software &
Information Industry Association ("SIIA") initiate
software audits on behalf of software publishers to pursue
potential copyright infringement claims arising out of software
compliance issues.
The BSA and SIIA initiate software audits by sending letters to
businesses advising of potential copyright infringement claims, and
warning against destroying any potential evidence of software
installations. Spoliation of evidence is a term commonly used to
describe the destruction or disappearance of evidence that would
otherwise be discoverable. For example, the target of a software
audit is instructed by the auditing entity to refrain from making
any changes to its network and software installations, deleting,
decommissioning, or uninstalling any BSA-member of SIIA-member
software during the
