$90,000 in Rewards Paid to Whistleblowers by SIIA

April 9, 2009

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, announced today that in March it paid nearly $90,000 to ten sources who reported cases of corporate end-user software piracy to SIIA.

Through its Anti-Piracy Reward Program, SIIA offers rewards - ranging from $500 for a settlement of $10,000 to $1 million for cases with settlement amounts over $20 million - to eligible individuals who report verifiable instances of corporate software piracy.

SIIA pursues cases of software and content piracy taking place within an organization. This occurs when software has been installed or content is being copied and/or distributed by an organization without the proper license from the publisher. SIIA's Corporate Anti-Piracy program is driven by source reports, involving a person referred to as "the source" who notifies SIIA that a particular company is using illegal software.

Sources can contact SIIA about a company's alleged non-compliance in three ways: by e-mail (at piracy@siia.net), a telephone call (1.800.388.7478), or a web-based form (www.siia.net/piracy/report). Usually the source is a current or former employee of the firm, an SIIA member company representative, vendor, or other person with first-hand knowledge about a company's IT operations.

Since the initiation of SIIA's anti-piracy reward program in 2003, no trade association has given out more rewards or larger amounts per reward, in an effort to thwart software and content piracy.

According to Keith Kupferschmid, Senior Vice President for Intellectual Property Policy and Enforcement, "We value the extensive cooperation and information provided by our sources and the reward program is a significant way in which we show our appreciation for their efforts to help us combat corporate end-user piracy while also ensuring that we obtain the most accurate and reliable information."

About SIIA's Corporate Anti-Piracy Hotline/Reporting Mechanisms

Individuals interested in learning more about the SIIA Anti-Piracy Reward Program or in submitting a piracy report can do so through SIIA's hotline: 800.388.7478.

SOURCE Software & Information Industry Association