Bravado the Whistle

Many whistle-blowers say they're more than concerned about professional person ideals than financial reward.

Contributing Writer, Computerworld |

Revenge isn't the primary motive of individuals who blow the whistle on software piracy. Neither is money -- fewer than one-half of the informants who report their employers for using pirated or unlicensed PC software enquire virtually financial rewards.

Instead, most informants are like Bob, who last year reported his former company for using what his then-boss told him was "jacked software." He was galled by the blatant dishonesty. Some informants, particularly those who are in IT, besides limited concern near their professional reputations.

(The names of informants are kept confidential, so Computerworld is only using first names.)

In 2008, the Business Software Alliance received more than 2,500 reports of illicit use of software by companies in the U.S. It settled 588 cases for a total of $nine.5 million. The BSA also paid out $136,000 to 42 informants, with the average reward being about $three,000.

Clearly, the number of informants outstrips the rewards paid out. That's because most informants aren't interested in fiscal compensation, according to the BSA, which maintains a reward pool of up to $1 million annually.

Rather, "most informants experience they have professional credentials to protect," says Jennifer Blank, the BSA'due south senior manager of legal affairs. "People who call our hot line are outraged by the situation."

For Bob, the outrage began when he went to update operating system and pattern software at the small manufacturer where he worked. "The foreman told me yous can't update information technology. He said information technology would freeze up and that the software wasn't registered," Bob recalls. "That was mind-boggling to me, because without that kind of software, they weren't in business organisation."

Non long afterward, both Bob and, subsequently, his boss, left the company. Bob got jobs at other manufacturers and after near a year decided to report his former employer.

"It stewed at me," specially equally he saw other companies paying their fair share for the software they used, Bob explains. "Information technology was the level of dishonesty that triggered me [to contact the BSA]."

Chuck, a computer science instructor in Pennsylvania, wasn't looking for coin or kudos when he contacted the BSA about his school commune. He was simply doing what's correct, he says.

The district had purchased a single re-create of Adobe software for utilize by 1,500 students. Well aware of software copyright and licensing laws -- which he taught to students as part of the computer scientific discipline curriculum -- Chuck met with school administrators virtually the situation. He also discussed it with It personnel lower downwards in the hierarchy. The loftier-level administrators, Chuck says, told him that what they were doing was perfectly legal. But at the lower end, "the people said they were aware of the licensing result but that was what they were told to do by upper administration," Chuck recalls.

At that bespeak, Chuck purchased his own copy of the Adobe software, read the licensing agreement carefully, and then contacted the BSA.

"Information technology was really non a driving strength to plow these guys in and cash in. It was more than to get them dorsum on rail then everything we had was legally licensed," Chuck says.

"As somebody teaching students how to write computer programs and about the ideals involved in that, it'south disturbing to find out your commune isn't following procedures," he explains. "What kind of example does that prepare? We're at that place to teach kids right from incorrect along with the right skill sets."

NEXT: Software piracy's global economic impact debated

Julia King is a Computerworld contributing author based in Pennsylvania.

Copyright © 2009 IDG Communications, Inc.