I’m told that next week the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, will announce that it has settled copyright infringement claims it pursued against Harbison-Mahony-Higgins Builders, Inc. (HMH Builders) for purchasing one single subscription to a publication but distributing it to hundreds of employees.This is big news for subscription sites who are intent on protecting their copyright and preventing piracy. It is also a warning to businesses that they need to purchase group subscriptions for their employees.SIIA pursued the case on behalf of Providence Publications, publisher of the Cal-OSHA Reporter and a member of the Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA). SIPA members may participate in SIIA’s antipiracy program as a complementary benefit of SIPA.HMH builders admitted to purchasing a single subscription of the Cal-OSHA Reporter-a newsletter about California occupational health and safety- and, without a license, electronically copying and redistributing the newsletter to hundreds of employees over a period of years. The company claimed, though, that fewer than 10 employees read each edition.”While we respect the good people at HMH Builders, we are happy that the others have been brought to heel,” said Dale Debber, President of Providence Publications. “Many good people simply don’t understand that the effective theft of premium quality specialized content is the same as stealing from a store or a bank.”