Raising The Stakes On Software Piracy (NAPSA)—For businesses that use unlicensed software, a new kind of program may make them think twice about continuing such illegal practices. As part of its “Blow the Whistle” campaign against software piracy, the Business Software Alliance (BSA)—the global organization representing the nation’s leading software manufacturers— is offering up to a $1 million reward to employees between now and October 2007. The Rewards program, which wasfirst introduced in the U.S. in 2005, encouragesindividuals with detailed information about unlicensed software use to confidentially submit a report. The maximum reward was $200,000, but in light of the $7.3 billion in lost revenue last year, the BSA has temporarily raised that reward to $1 million. The BSA has already successfully settled with hundreds of companies, bringing in nearly $22 million as a result. “The success of BSA’s Rewards program is an exciting advance in the fight against software piracy,” said Jenny Blank, BSA’s senior director of legal affairs. “With the extra incentive, more and more people will do the right thing and report illegal use of software.” Companies don’t have to gamble with software compliance. BSAprovides the tools and educational materials to ensure the successful implementation of legal and ethical software use. “We are committed not only to sharing the stories of serious risks whistle. Report Software Piracy between July 2 to October 2 and You Could Receive up to $1,000,000. ? ; eeee WWW.BSA.ORGor 1-888-NO-PIRACY Increasingly, businesses are paying the price for using unlicensed or pirated software. to companies that use unlicensed or illegal software, but also to introduce companies to BSA tools and best practices,” said Blank. Businesses trying to determine whether their organization is using unlicensed software can downloadthe free trial versions at www.bsaaudit.com. Individuals can learn more about the BSA Rewards program or submit a confidential report by visiting www.bsa.org or calling (888) NO PIRACY. Reward payments are subject to eligibility requirements, the details of which are available on the BSA Website. Software piracy is against the law and affects thousands of businesses nationwide, costing millions of dollars in tax revenues and lost jobs. It can result in fines of up to $150,000 for each software title copied and increases the risk for security and technical complications.
