Changes to the 2002 Enterprise Act mean the Federation Against Software Theft is now able to obtain information about software theft from Trading Standards.

The act previously contained a clause which prevented information gained through Trading Standards investigations from being passed on to other bodies unless it has first been made public.

But a change in the law now means that information can be used in civil proceedings by consumers or intellectual property rights holders.

“This is a new weapon in our arsenal for targeting and prosecuting software thieves,” said Julian Heathcote Hobbins, senior legal counsel at FAST. “All too often offenders have been subject to investigations and sometimes prosecutions do not get off the ground.

“By opening the ‘gateway’, the Federation now has the opportunity to continue investigations on behalf of itself and its members under civil law.”