Diane Goins' Case Study

• In August 2008, BSA announced a judgment in the amount of $250,000 against Diane Goins, 55, of Richmond Hills, Ga.

• “Having the judgment against me is the worst thing.” Goins had been selling counterfeit copies of Corel software on eBay to supplement her retirement income. “Somebody from BSA made a purchase, tested and found it was pirated.” The investigation showed that between January and May 2008, Goins sold more than $212,000 worth of unlicensed software on eBay.

• Online auction sites are among the most popular destinations on the Web, with millions logging on to buy and sell a vast array of products including software. In fact, estimates have pegged the problem in the range of 50-90 percent. Some of the most frequently sold titles on auction sites include products by Adobe, Autodesk, Corel, Intuit, McAfee, Microsoft, and Symantec.