The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has doubled the reward on offer to workers who shop their bosses for using illegal software to £20,000 in the run-up to Christmas.
The move comes as new research reveals that 70% of London workers would turn in their boss for dodgy business practices while one in five would be even more willing to do it in the run-up to the Christmas period, in the hope of earning themselves some extra festive spending money.
The BSA’s survey also found that 40% of London workers would be more willing to turn their boss in for a financial reward if they had 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,” said Alyna Cope, spokesperson for the BSA UK Committee. “London businesses should take note and make every effort to ensure that their software licensing is up-to-date.”
Cope added that the BSA is already investigating a number of London-based firms for using illegal software and that legal proceedings may follow. Analyst house IDC estimates that London businesses install pirated software worth £179m each year. A 10% drop in piracy rates would generate over 13,000 new jobs, £1.08bn in tax revenues and contribute £4.46bn to the UK’s economy, the report said.
The £20,000 reward for shopping users of pirated software runs until Christmas this year.
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