SINGAPORE--An individual in the island-state who helped exposed a company's copyright infringement act has earned S$10,000 (US$6,396) in reward money, according to the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
The amount is the highest to date paid to an individual since the software industry group started its toll-free anti-piracy hotline in February last year. The initiative aims to curb software piracy, including the use of unlicensed software in the workplace or office environment.
The individual had provided information that led to a "successful significant claim" against the alleged company for infringement of Singapore's Copyright Act. When contacted, the BSA--citing confidentiality reasons--was unable to provide details on what software brand had been infringed. Its current members include Microsoft, Symantec, Adobe and McAfee.
Tarun Sawney, BSA's Asia director of anti-piracy, said in a statement: "By reporting instances of the illegal use of software in the workplace people are doing the responsible thing.
"In many instances, those in managerial and decision-making positions knowingly contravene the law for a short-term financial gain, and in doing so, expose the whole business and their own staff to legal consequences should criminal action be taken," said Sawney, who reiterated that software piracy acts by companies are considered criminal offences in Singapore.
BSA has distributed S$20,000 (US$12,792) in total reward monies since November last year to several individuals, whose accounts of companies that have violated software copyrights led to successful charges being brought against these errant businesses.
Reports from the public--either through the hotline or BSA's Web site--have helped the industry group identify at least 29 companies that used pirated software in Singapore. Since its launch, the hotline has clocked over 800 calls from the public, compared to fewer than 50 calls in 2004. To date, the BSA has also received over 300 notifications--via its Web site--from the public of infringing companies.
According to the BSA, Singapore--at 40 percent--has the fourth lowest piracy rate in the Asia-Pacific region. New Zealand boasts the lowest software piracy rate at 23 percent, followed by Japan's 28 percent and Australia's 31 percent.
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