Vondran Legal® Dassault/Solidworks Licensing Disputes and Litigation - Call us at (877) 276-5084 if you received what we (not so affectionately) refer to as "The Love Letter."
Introduction
Dassault enforces software piracy cases involving Solidworks software, CATIA, and Abagus. You may initially be contacted by a mediator that may make large demands to purchase software. Many times these offers are so high that recipients of the letter will contact our office to discuss their options. We deal with Dassault's law firm Harness/Dickey (now known as Harness IP). We offer a free initial consultation for people who have received the letter. It is important to take this matter very seriously, as it is 100% certain that they can, will and have filed numerous copyright infringement cases in federal court. When this happens, your name, or the name of your company will become public and searchable on the internet (which is not good for future business prospects).
There are many ways people get caught with pirated Solidoworks products. For example, you may find what appears to be a legitimate training video on YouTube that prompts you to download the software and install it for a trial for example. Many people have told me they did not know there was anything illegal going on. Other ways are improper installation of bootleg software with a thumbdrive, or having someone online remotely install the software. Finally, the use of BitTorrent has been known to be a source of finding and installing cracked software for other users. At any rate, Solidworks has "phone home" or "call home" technology that will track all of your uses and at some point one of their representatives, or legal counsel, will reach out to you to remedy the situation - usually by purchasing valid licensed software and/or settling by paying compliance fees, and attorney fees. No other IP defense law firm has handled the number of these cases as has Vondran Legal®. In this niche area of copyright law there is simply no substitute for experience, and our copyright defense firm has settled nearly 1,000 software licensing disputes, including many federal court litigation cases.
This graphic shows how unsuspecting victims can be lured in
This is a photo from a torrent search. Many clients believe it is a free and legal download of the SW software. However, once you download the software, it starts PINGING to Dassault and the next thing you know your company (or an individual) is accused of software piracy and big fines are sought.
Did you receive a letter from Harness Dickey or a Mediator?
Harness IP is the law firm that handles cases on behalf of Dassault. They can be really tough on infringers. While you can try to handle these cases on your own, most of my clients have enjoyed having our firm take the lead to get the case resolved as quickly as possible and for the best possible deal. We have the skill necessary to get the job done, and we charge LOW FLAT RATE FEES (no hourly fees that will deplete your finances). If you do not respond to the demand letter, it is possible they may "elevate" the case to federal court copyright infringement litigation. This can get expensive. Click below to watch the video on potential damages in copyright infringement cases.
Typical Settlement Procedure
When you or your company is accused of software copyright infringement, the typical options are:
1. Do nothing, see if the issue is big enough where they will want to sue you (or for individuals, even worse, your employer)
2. Settle the dispute
3. If they file a copyright infringement lawsuit, defend it (you can always seek what we call "early settlement")
If you received a letter from a Solidworks mediator, or from Harness IP, call us to discuss you range of options and any potential defenses or mitigating factors.
Overview of Copyright Infringement Penalties and Fines
Contact a Solidworks Copyright Infringement Defense Law Firm
We can be reached at (877) 276-5084 or fill out the contact form and we will reach out to you. We are a leading copyright software infringement defense law firm in the United States. We have handled nearly 500 federal court litigation cases. In this niche area of copyright law, there is no substitute for experienced legal counsel.
