Reporting pirated software is ethical and can result in a monetary reward. It can be done by contacting the software owner or organizations like the Business Software Alliance. No personal information is required, and reporting helps companies recover lost profits. The BSA offers rewards for reporting in the US and Canada.
Pirated software is a problem in many countries and for many companies. By making illegal copies of software, an individual or business harms the developer or vendor of the software and causes a loss of profit. If you find illegally copied software, it’s ethical to report it, which might seem like a hassle, but it only takes a few minutes and you could get a monetary reward for reporting it. You can usually report pirated software by contacting the person or company that owns the rights to the software or by contacting an organization that is committed to stopping software piracy, such as the Business Software Alliance (BSA®). Unless required by law, your identity will not be disclosed as the person who reported the illegal software.
Most software distributor websites have a special page for reporting pirated software. This is because every company recognizes that its software could be stolen due to the relative ease of pirating programs. Typically you’ll just need to tell the company which company, person, or website is distributing the illegal software. Your name and contact information will generally not be requested when you report pirated software.
If the software distributor’s website does not have a special page for reporting piracy, the next option is to use the regular contact page. Every website should have the website administrator email and you can contact them to report the fraud. Just tell them the identity of the person or location of the business, physically or online, and what makes you believe the software is illegal. Just like reporting through the piracy page, you shouldn’t be asked to leave your name and contact information.
The Business Software Alliance is dedicated to building and protecting software. It is responsible for enacting laws against cybercrimes, and its website has a page where users can anonymously report pirated software. No contact information is needed, just some information about who is selling or distributing the illegal software. You can provide your email address, but this will only be used to update you on the status of the investigation, if an investigation is conducted.
The BSA® offers a financial reward for reporting pirated software if certain conditions are met. The software theft must have occurred in the United States or Canada, although software theft in other countries could be investigated and the person or business sued for using the illegal software. If the law in that jurisdiction prohibits prizes, you will not receive any compensation. Even if you don’t receive compensation, reporting pirated software will help the software distributor recover lost profits, which will allow the company to allocate more funds to make better programs.
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