Piracy Whistleblowers Paid $57K In 2010

alphadogg writes "In 2010, the Software and Information Industry Association received 157 reports of alleged corporate end user software piracy. Of the 157 reports, 42 (or 27%) were judged sufficiently reliable to pursue. Of these, 16 qualified for rewards totaling $57,500. The profile of sources reporting software piracy indicates that most reports come from former IT staff – these are the people who typically witness the illegal use of software. 75% of all reports come from IT staff or managers, 11% from the company's senior management and 4% from outside consultants. More than 59% of those reporting are no longer employed by the target company. In fact, many of SIIA's sources report that their primary reason for leaving the target company was the company's lack of ethical behavior related to software compliance."

Comments

good

[mrphoton]

pirated software also hurts open source take up too.

$3,593.75 average

[Anonymous Coward]

More than 59% of those reporting are no longer employed by the target company.

Yep, and I wonder how many are unemployable?

Or, how many can actually get another job?

Two things you never want to be associated with:

1. Thief.
2. Whistleblower.

$3,593.75 isn't worth it for me. If there were piracy going on where I worked and management was part of it, I'd keep my mouth shut and leave.

No company wants someone who's going to go reporting on illegal activity - none. They may say they do, but in reality, they don't.

Everyone, let alone entire companies, has something to hide. You may not know it, but you do - there's just too many laws, IP, regulations and whatnot to run afoul.

Re:$3,593.75 average

[thijsh]

1. A thief is a person who removes something of value for his own personal gain (either to use or sell for money).
2. A whistleblower is a person who highlights inethical practices of otherwise unchecked entities without personal gain.
3. A snitch on the other hand sells out his peers for a small reward, which is exactly what is happening here...

Like you said everyone has something to hide and you should respect their privacy by letting them. This should only be violated for highly unethical practices that greatly affect people's lives, like whistleblowers do... These people are heroes who think of the greater good before thinking of themselves, they may be in low esteem from corporations but they are heroes to the common man. Snitches on the other hand are the scum of the earth who violate peoples privacy for mundane things like software piracy and get paid for it too... everyone rightfully hates a snitch because their actions are more unethical than the supposedly unethical things they snitch on. A whistleblower understands this equation of ethics and is on the right side of ethical behavior, a snitch only thinks of personal needs and grievances and does not take ethics into account until after the fact when it might be a good argument to hide their motives...

$3500 to get black listed by ever IT corp.

[upuv]

OK So these people may feel morally better. They probably are.

But when asked the question during an interview. "Why did you leave you last organization?" Answer "Oh I turned them in for a few thousand dollars."

That is a career limiting move.

Yah it's wrong but it's true.

Then there is the industry. Only coughing up $57,000 grand total. That's not even an IT persons full time salary for a year. The reward or even stigma of the reward is doing more damage to personal lives than the good of correcting the poor behavior of companies. I'm sure MS has paid more for a poster about piracy than it paid out to people doing the right thing.

It just makes me shake my head.

Re:$3500 to get black listed by ever IT corp.

[Charliemopps]

You're honest in job interviews? You're insane.

Don't be surprised, it's a scam.

[eddy]

You shouldn't be surprised, because typically these bounties state that you get some percentage of the money collected as damages through a court, but most cases are never reach that state, they're settled out of court. The idea that you can "turn someone in and become rich" is but a dream; in all likelihood you'll never see a dime. You'll just be that guy.

Re:FTW!

[Yvanhoe]

When you are in a company that forces you to write DRMs, but that shamelessly pirate other softwares or integrate GPL code without mentioning it, I can see why employees would report them.

Alternatively...

[NickFortune]

Of course, there is another plausible scenario:

Boss: You're fired!

Ex-Employee: Oh shit!

Later, at home.

Ex-Employee: Fire me, will you? We'll see who laughs last...

dials telephone...

Ex-Employee: Hello? SIIA? I'd like to report a case of widespread use of unlicensed software by a major company...

Ex-Employee: Uh... no, no, I'm no longer with the company. I uh, left ... because I was disgusted at their wanton disregard for intellectual property...

Which isn't to say that some of those reports aren't made by highly principled people, of course. But I bet I know which category had the most hits...