SIIA Fourth Quarter Anti-Piracy Rewards to Corporate Whistleblowers Among Highest Ever

During Last Quarter of 2011, SIIA Issued $35,500 to Individuals Reporting Software & Content Piracy in the Workplace

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, announced today that it paid $35,500 in rewards during the final quarter of 2011.  The rewards went to five individuals who reported cases of significant corporate end-user software or content piracy. The total quarterly amount is the highest paid by SIIA in more than two years, and represents one of the highest amounts paid in any quarter since the program's inception.

"The workplace is a major battlefield in the fight against piracy, and SIIA's mission is to identify and stop businesses that profit from software and content they are not authorized to use," said Keith Kupferschmid, SIIA General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Intellectual Property Policy & Enforcement.  "We rewarded five individuals who saw significant illegal piracy in the workplace and took action to stop it. The information these sources provided has allowed SIIA to launch several new investigations and continue the industry's most aggressive campaign against software and content piracy."

SIIA's Corporate Anti-Piracy Program is the industry's most aggressive, and actively seeks verifiable tips in order to investigate and stop software and content piracy occurring within an organization.  Since the Reward Program began in 2003, no other trade association has given out more rewards in an effort to combat software and content piracy.

SIIA protects the identities of whistleblowers—making it safe for individuals to report software and content piracy in their workplaces.  One anonymous reward recipient who provided valuable information said, "Thanks to SIIA, the process of reporting software piracy was simple, thorough and secure. I was able to make a difference and, in a small way, help crack down on the illegal use of computer software."

"I was forced to use illegal software in order to do my job and support my family," continued the source.  "I felt 'guilty by association.' It bothered me that they were profiting from the software and never felt obligated to purchase it."

Another anonymous reward recipient said, "Businesses should be able to successfully operate without pirating software.  Piracy hurts software developers, leads to unfair competition, and most damaging of all, puts the employee forced to use the software in a moral predicament."

Corporate piracy often occurs when software has been installed or content is being copied and/or distributed by an organization that does not have a license, or has insufficient licenses from the publisher.  Through its Anti-Piracy Reward Program, SIIA offers rewards to eligible individuals who report verifiable instances of corporate software or content piracy.  Rewards range from $500 for a settlement of $10,000, to $1 million for cases with settlement amounts over $20 million.

How to Report Corporate Software or Content Piracy
Sources can report corporate software piracy by e-mail ([email protected]), telephone (1.800.388.7478), or the Internet (www.siia.net/piracy/report).  Usually the source is a current or former employee of the firm, an SIIA member company representative, vendor, or a person with first-hand knowledge about a company's IT operations.

About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry.  SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to more than 500 leading software and information companies.  For further information, visit: www.siia.net.

About SIIA Anti-Piracy
The Software & Information Industry Association's Anti-Piracy Division conducts a comprehensive, industry-wide campaign to fight software and content piracy.  The pro-active campaign is premised on the notion that one must balance enforcement with education in order to be effective.

SIIA Communications Contact: Laura Greenback, 202.789.4461, [email protected]
PR Agency Contact: Beth Dozier, 202.429.1883, [email protected]

SOURCE Software & Information Industry Association