Anti-piracy group Business Software Alliance is hoping to entice more IT managers to turn informant by quadrupling the standard reward for information on alleged software piracy to $20,000.
The month-long promotion — valid until July 31 — is available to whistleblowers that provide "pursuable leads on businesses using pirated or unlicensed software".
The alliance received 104 reports from informants in 2011, when it offered $5000 to informants.
The group settled 10 cases with a damages award.
BSA Australia co-chair Clayton Noble said that although all of last year's informants qualified for the financial reward, "many" declined to accept it.
"Many are whistleblowers, motivated to ensure that businesses comply with their legal obligations and license the software that they use," Noble said.
"A substantial number of whistleblowers that come to BSA with piracy cases are former IT managers that have come from inside the business that's pirating software, who have been frustrated by senior management's refusal to pay the software they use."
The group claimed the commercial value of pirated software used by Australian businesses amount to $US763 million last year.
Copyright © iTnews.com.au . All rights reserved.
Issue: 315 | May 2013
Access CRN's extensive online resources including; email bulletins, community discussions and unique online news.
Processing registration... Please wait.
This process can take up to a minute to complete.
A confirmation email has been sent to your email address - SUPPLIED GOES EMAIL HERE. Please click on the link in the email to verify your email address. You need to verify your email before you can log on to the CRN website or start posting comments on articles.
If you do not receive your confirmation email within the next few minutes, it may be because the email has been captured by a junk mail filter. Please ensure you add the domain '@crn.com.au' to your white-listed senders.
