The Business Software Alliance (BSA)..Scaremongers?!

I just heard about this company on the radio, and decided to do some research on them.
They are offering $50,000 U.S. and 20,000 U.K. for employees of businesses/Corporations to "RAT" on your company if you know they use Pirated software.
Kind of sounds fishy to me, I just can't see anyone doing that and remaining annonymous to the company you work for, I mean it would be pretty obvious if you took an "extended" vacation after the BSA did their investigations and that company was found guilty of Piracy.
I personally would not sell out the company I work for or any others for that fact if I knew they used Pirated software, $50,000 would be nice but I would rather earn my money through labor not by being a "SNITCH".

Another question is why the BSA goes after the Corporation as a whole and not find the person responsible for Pirating the software, I mean come on The I.T. Department IMO would be the only ones to know if the software was legit, not the top Executives of the company, why risk so much loss for a measley $100 or $1000 certificate of rights for software use? Plus wouldn't the person that reported be a prime suspect with first hand knowledge of the Illegal copying going on? Would that not make them an "accomplise"(spl?) to the crime?

I guess not, The BSA can make more money off the Corp. than a single or group of people, I mean they have only made $2.2 M in out-of court settlements from 20 different companies annually and are supposedly using the funds toward educational initiatives against Piracy.

Here is the link: BSA earns $2.2m in annual anti-piracy sweep

I also came across this link talking about the BSA using the issue of unlicensed software as a decoy, So they can focus on putting in action the Enforcement Directive to crack down on Grey Market Trading.

BSA 'piracy' report dismissed as scaremongering
The Draft IPR Enforcement Directive — A Threat to Competition and to Liberty

Here is a link to the "Lucrative" offer,
Software piracy whistleblowing becomes more lucrative

And here is a link for their website to make a confidential report about a company illegaly using software,
www.bsa.org...

In the long run I suppose this will help with Piracy within the workplace but it will do nothing for Piracy among friends or family. Just my opinion

I'm going to keep my eye's on these guys and try and get some more info.

[edit on 17-1-2006 by DustintheWind]

[edit on 17-1-2006 by DustintheWind]

What could software patent and copyright holders do with the IPR enforcement directive?

by Ian Brown, Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR)


SCO has threatened Linux users across the US with lawsuits, based on its claim that Linux contains copyrighted SCO code. And the wide range of software patents granted in the US could be said to be infringed by any number of free software tools.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament is in the final phases of considering legislation that would provide powerful new legal mechanisms against infringers of intellectual property rights. The European Commission is busy trying to overturn amendments to draft European legislation on software patents. What could patent and copyright holders threaten European free software users and distributors with if this legislation was passed?

Shut down free software distribution sites
Destroy free software distribution CDs and presses, at the user's cost
Demand damages and legal costs
Require public apologies
Encourage national criminal sanctions
License local companies to take action
Demand the handover of systems running infringing software, and company records — without hearing the user's side
Ban further software use or distribution, with recurring penalties
Seize bank accounts, without hearing the user's side

From my readings I guess the U.K. has already been hit with the passing of the Enforcement Directive in 2004, by the European Parliament.

Enforcement Directive welcomed as a first step in the fight against piracy and counterfeiting

Wikipedia also has a page on this here:Directive on the enforcement of intellectual property rights

I guess since the BSA had such good success in the U.K. they are coming after America.

Are there any members from the U.K. out there that have been directly affected by the Enforcement Directive being passed? Example: A company you work for shut down for Piracy or shut down because it cannot compete with the market?

This is really disturbing if true!

[edit on 17-1-2006 by DustintheWind]