Alliance is out to haul down the software jolly roger

The BSA will invest heavily and provide detailed information to remind individuals that they have a resource through which to come forward and con¬fidentially report infringements to the alliance.

Until the end of the month, individu¬als who provide substantive reports of software piracy to the BSA are eligible to receive a cash reward of up to Bt500,000. After that date, rewards of up to Bt250,000 will be offered.

"We have been shining a light on software piracy, and that light is about to get much brighter," said Police Colonel Sarayut Pultunya, the deputy commander of the Economic and Technical Crimes Suppression Division (Ecotec).

"While some progress has been made to reduce software piracy, more work needs to be done."

Earlier this year, the National Software Intellectual Property Campaign was launched in conjunction with the Intellectual Property Department and Ecotec.

It has found that almost eight out of 10 pieces of software used in Thailand today are pirated.

"We believe that the new Bt500,000 reward will help to make the second half of the year even better," said an executive from the BSA.

Individuals are invited to phone (02) 711 6193 to inform about infringements, while businesses can download a variety of free basic software assetmanagement tools from the BSA's website at www.bsa.org. Free tools include a guide to software management, best practices, resources and tips for staying legal.

n Hwee Chong Ng is the committee chair of the Business Software Alliance.