SIIA Reaches Content Piracy Settlement on Behalf of Providence Publications

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Software & Information Industry Association

Sep 06, 2011, 09:00 ET

Aggressive Anti‐Piracy Campaign Demonstrates that Businesses Face Serious Consequences for Illegally Copying & Distributing Content

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, today announced that it has settled copyright infringement claims it pursued against Harbison-Mahony-Higgins Builders, Inc. (HMH Builders), a subsidiary of major construction firm Swinerton & Walberg Company.

HMH Builders, a commercial general building contractor located in Sacramento , Calif., admittedly purchased a single subscription of the Cal-OSHA Reporter—a newsletter about California occupational health and safety—and, without a license, electronically copied and redistributed the newsletter to hundreds of employees over a period of years. The company, however, claimed that fewer than 10 employees read each edition.

"HMH Builders is a respectable company that put itself at significant risk by copying and distributing content it did not own," said Scott Bain, Chief Litigation Counsel and Director of Internet Anti-Piracy for SIIA. "Copyright infringement can do serious damage to content companies, and we are aggressive in going after violators. Whether companies don't take copyright infringement seriously, or they're trying to cut costs, they are subjecting themselves to serious consequences. The bottom line is that it's essential to secure proper licenses before redistributing content, even if you're just sending it around internally."

SIIA pursued the copyright infringement case on behalf of Providence Publications, LLC, publisher of the Cal-OSHA Reporter and a member of the Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA). SIPA members may participate in SIIA's antipiracy program as a complementary benefit of SIPA.

"While we respect the good people at HMH Builders, we are happy that the others have been brought to heel," said Dale Debber, President of Providence Publications. "Many good people simply don't understand that the effective theft of premium quality specialized content is the same as stealing from a store or a bank."

Through its Corporate Content Anti-Piracy (CCAP) Program, SIIA pursues cases of content copyright infringement taking place by or within an organization. This content includes text-based publications like articles in newspapers, magazines and newsletters, books – whether in traditional print or made available online. As shown by cases like this one, infringement of copyrighted works is a significant problem for content companies – one that they have urged SIIA to address through its CCAP program. The settlement with HMH Builders represents another victory in SIIA's aggressive efforts and industry leadership in fighting content and software piracy.

How to Report Corporate Content Piracy
SIIA offers rewards ranging from $500 to $1 million to eligible individuals who report infringement by a corporation or other organization. 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 operations. Individuals interested in learning more about the reward program, or submitting a piracy report, can do so in three ways:


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. Its 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.

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SIIA Communications Contact: Laura Greenback, 202.789.4461, [email protected]
PR Agency Contact: Beth Dozier, 202.429.1883, [email protected]
Providence Pubications Contact: Dale Debber, 916.774.4000, [email protected]

SOURCE Software & Information Industry Association