Hypertherm, a U.S.-based manufacturer of advanced cutting systems, is pleased to share news concerning the end of a three-year counterfeiting ring that involved several types of software, including Hypertherm’s ProNest nesting software. The U.S. government estimates this particular ring – perpetrated by two men who have since been charged by a grand jury – cost companies, most of them American, more than $100 million in lost revenue.
“People who pirate software leave a lot of victims in their wake. Companies like Hypertherm suffer because they are not adequately compensated for the extensive time and effort necessary to develop and refine advanced software such as ProNest. In addition, customers suffer because companies are unable to devote the needed resources to develop new and better software,” said Nick Rosenberg, leader of Hypertherm’s software division. “When someone purchases pirated software, customers are likely to be disappointed, since the software has been tampered with and won’t perform as designed. The person using it will experience unexpected failures and crashes; and won’t receive critical software updates or technical support when they need it.”
“Hypertherm is proud to have worked with the U.S government to bring charges against these individuals and will continue to proactively work to protect all of our intellectual property, including our numerous technology patents,” said Brett Hansen, head of intellectual property for Hypertherm. The company designs and manufactures advanced cutting products for use in a variety of industries such as shipbuilding, manufacturing, and automotive repair. Its product line includes handheld and mechanized plasma and laser systems, consumables, as well as CNC motion and height controls and CAM cutting software.
