Singapore - The Business Software Alliance is more than doubling its anti-piracy reward to encourage firms to use licensed software and more people to fight piracy in the workplace, the BSA said on Friday. From now until January 31, 2008, the reward for qualified information is up to 50,000 Singapore dollars (36,000 US dollars) from 20,000 Singapore dollars (14,000 US dollars).
"This initiative is aimed at driving home the message to businesses that they must take responsibility for software usage within their organizations and implement systems and policies that ensure the use of licensed software, said Tarun Sawney, BSA's anti-piracy director for Asia.
"Many businesses fail to put a priority on managing their software assets," Sawney said, noting other instances of those in managerial decisions knowingly flout the law for short-term financial gain.
First-time offenders in Singapore face a maximum fine of 20,000 Singapore dollars (14,000 US dollars) and/or six months in jail.
BSA has an anti-piracy hotline and website.
Singapore had a software piracy rate of 39 pier cent with losses amounting to 125 million US dollars last year, according to the fourth annual global software piracy study.
Software piracy can have severe repercussions on the economy, Sawney said. "It compromises the growth of the software industry and dampens innovation and progress of the IT sector."
