BSA doubles piracy reward ahead of Christmas

Have you cut staff lately? Maybe had a bit of a pay freeze? And to save more cash, you're using pirated software?

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is looking to get your attention and that of your cash strapped employees.

The anti-piracy group has doubled its reward for reporting the use of illegal software, in order to "encourage employees in London to report their companies if they think they are using illegal software," the firm said in a statement.

The reward has now hit 20,000, but just until the end of the year.

If that's not enough to have you looking over your shoulder at that IT worker you just handed notice to, the BSA also revealed the results of a survey, which showed 70 per cent of London workers would turn in their bosses over "improper business practices."

Another one in five would be more likely to point the finger at their firm if they needed extra cash for Christmas that 20,000 could buy a lot of presents for under the tree.

And some 40 per cent would be likely to tell on bosses if they had just been made redundant.

"Many cash-strapped employees are willing to supplement their earnings in the run up to Christmas by reporting illegal business practices, and the affects of the recession are making them even more likely to expose corporate wrongdoings," claimed Alyna Cope, spokesperson for the BSA UK Committee, in a statement.

But it's not all about revenge or buying presents, Cope claimed. "Nearly half of those we surveyed also think their company should face legal action for using illegal software."

Cope noted the BSA is already investigating a few London companies for using "unlicensed" software, and claimed London businesses are using 149 million of pirated programmes each year.

If your boss is up to no good or you've been made redundant and need a few spare quid the BSA offers a confidential online reporting tool here to make your financially motivated finger-pointing even easier.