If you find unlicensed IBM software on your servers, what should you do?
Needed
If you need the software, license it. IBM’s stance is purchase before deployment (unless you have another contractual arrangement such as self-reporting deployments for capped enterprise). License as soon as possible after discovery, especially if found while verifying the accuracy of your quarterly ILMT (or other IBM licensing tool) report.
If you put off the purchase until an IBM audit, you will not be in a favorable position. The least that could happen is you will be required to buy the necessary licenses and pay support in arrears for as much as 24 months. If you are not abiding by the IBM software licensing agreement in other areas, the negotiation during the settlement phase could be steeper.
Don’t Need
If you don’t need that software, deinstall it as soon as possible there’s no grace period for mistakes, and if you have ILMT or another tool generating a paper trail for a future audit, there will be a record. If an audit finds it instead of you, that’s worse than you finding it on your own and taking care of the situation. You may deinstall the software still and negotiate for a term license to cover the usage period, rather than buying a regular license.