Kaspersky quits Business Software Alliance

Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab will quit the Business Software Alliance (BSA) from 1 January 2012 in a disagreement over the BSA's support of the US Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill.

CEO Eugene Kaspersky confirmed the move on Twitter, promising to reveal more details in a blog.

"We're leaving BSA because of their support for SOPA. I'll come out with a blog post re this issue."

The SOPA bill is designed to extend the ability of US law enforcement and copyright holders to fight the online exchange of copyrighted material.

The bill has angered many large technology companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter, who argue that it may leave them open to prosecutions or court orders over which they have little control.

Although the BSA officially supports the bill, its CEO Robert Holleyman admitted last month in a blog post that it could affect legitimate businesses, not just those seeking to profit through copyright infringement.

"As it now stands, [the bill] could sweep in more than just truly egregious actors. To fix this problem, definitions of who can be the subject of legal actions and what remedies are imposed must be tightened and narrowed."

Kaspersky had a more scathing description of the bill's problems.

"SOPA is out of touch with an industry that requires a different approach," he said on Twitter.

The BSA has indicated its disappointment at Kaspersky's decision.

"We are very disappointed to learn that Kaspersky Labs may not renew their membership in BSA, especially given we share many of their concerns over SOPA," said Katherine McGuire, vice president of government relations.

"Kaspersky has been a valued member of BSA over the past two years, and we look forward to working with them again in the future."