THE international computer industry group, the Business Software Alliance, has taken its first legal action against an Irish company for the alleged sale of pirate software.

The BSA, on behalf of computer manufacturers, Lotus and Microsoft, has initiated High Court proceedings against SelfGrow, a small computer and software training company based in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

The action is to seek "injunctions and damages" for the alleged making and sale of illegal copies of its members software packages onto computer hard discs.

Self Grow is owned and managed by Mr Phillip Finlay Bryan, who employs one other person on a part time basis in the business. Confirming the pending legal action yesterday, he stated that he did not support software piracy and is no longer selling computers.

Mr Finlay Bryan said he has made a number of attempts to reach an out of court settlement with the BSA, and is still hopeful that the matter can be resolved.

BSA's marketing director for Europe, Ms Clare O'Brien, said the organisation is also following up a number of other leads in Ireland, and will not hesitate to take "swift and decisive" legal action against dealers selling illegal software. "We shall remain vigilant until this problem is a thing of the past she stated.

Though only recently launched in Ireland, the BSA has filed more than 600 lawsuits worldwide for suspected copyright infringement, since its foundation in 1988. It's members include Abode Systems, Lotus Development, Microsoft and Bentley Systems.

SelfGrow was established in 1994 to provide computer training in the Tullamore area. The company is very small by industry standards, with a turnover last year of around £30,000. The action is understood to have arisen following the sale of a computer to a client, and the subsequent copying of a leading software package onto its hard disc.