PARK CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas companies have been ordered to pay nearly $150,000 in restitution and fines for using illegal software to design and test aircraft parts.
Lightning Aerospace in Newton and Fly Manufacturing in Park City acquired and used unlicensed versions of CATIA, a design program commonly used in manufacturing and engineering, The U.S. Justice Department said Friday.
The companies had pleaded guilty to circumvention of protected copyrighted work.
Dassault Systemes has the copyright for the program. The two Kansas companies use of of the unlicensed software for several years could have “grave consequences to customers," the DOJ said in a news release.
The companies not only defrauded the software company but also gave themselves an unfair financial advantage over competitors who paid software and licensing fees, said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.
Lightning Aerospace was ordered to pay $46,002 in restitution to Dassault Systemes and pay about $28,000 in fines. Fly Manufacturing was ordered to pay $67,272 in restitution and approximately $8,000 in fines.
