Anti-piracy group seeks more IT manager informants

Anti-piracy group the 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.