Seven companies nationwide using unlicensed Autodesk(R) and other software recently settled with the Business Software Alliance (BSA) for more than half a million dollars. In the past 6 years BSA has collected over $37 million from errant companies. They estimate that 36% of the world’s software is pirated.

An independent survey of 1,500 professionals conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs found that 90 percent agree software piracy is a “risk no business can afford to take,” yet 23 percent of them admit that some of the commercial software in their organization is unlicensed. Many surveyed were in architecture and engineering - ironic since AEC professionals would certainly not want their own copyrighted plans and drawings pirated!

BSA offers free audit tools for use to ensure your software is legal.
http://www.bsa.org/usa/antipiracy/Tools-Resources.cfm