(credit: Nicolas Raymond)

A German maker of 3D virtual reality software is accusing the US Navy of engaging in wanton piracy, and we’re not talking about piracy on the high seas. This is about digital piracy of software, according to a federal lawsuit brought by Bitmanagement Software. The company is seeking copyright infringement damages of more than $596,000 from the Navy for allegedly stealing more than 558,000 copies of its BS Contact Geo software.

The amount of damages, if the Navy loses, could go up substantially. That price tag included in the lawsuit is the market value of the unpaid licenses. Bitmanagement also noted that in addition to licensing fees it is seeking pre- and post-judgement interest, punitive damages, legal costs, attorney fees, and statutory damages that could amount to $150,000 per infringement.

According to the lawsuit (PDF) filed in the US Court of Federal Claims: