BBB and SIIA Launch Campaign to Curb Software Piracy.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 21, 1999--

The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), in conjunction with SPA Anti-Piracy, a division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), today launched an outreach campaign to educate businesses nationwide on software piracy issues.

It's estimated that software license violations cost U.S. businesses millions in fines and legal fees each year. While some business owners and/or their employees knowingly pirate software, there are many who are unaware that their conduct violates federal law. Either way, businesses can be held liable for copyright infringement.

"Making staff aware of permissible software uses and convincing them of the importance of respecting copyrighted information is a challenge that confronts small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large corporations. That's why we've joined with the SIIA to publish, online and offline, a simple, easy-to-read guide for businesses on this important issue," said James L. Bast, president of the CBBB, the umbrella organization for the 132 Better Business Bureaus (BBBs) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

"Software piracy is illegal, risky, unproductive and flat-out wrong," said Ken Wasch, president of SIIA. "This campaign is a natural fit for both SIIA and CBBB. The goal of the campaign is to utilize both organizations' strengths helping educate business owners and business computer users to reduce the incidence of piracy."

"When a few people pirate software, everyone loses. Software piracy costs our industry more than $10 billion in lost revenue each year. This translates into higher software costs for consumers, less technical support and software innovation and fewer jobs," Wasch said.

SIIA represents more than 1,400 leading high-tech companies that develop and market software and electronic content for business, education, consumers and the Internet. Hundreds of these companies look to SIIA to protect their intellectual property around the world. Information on SIIA's anti-piracy activities can be found at http://www.spa.org/piracy.

The educational outreach consists of a special section on the BBB's popular central web site ( http://www.bbb.org ) and a new BBB advisory publication to provide businesses with the why's and how to's of complying with copyright laws with respect to computer software programs, and to offer advice on how to report known violations to appropriate entities. Print copies of the BBB brochure, "Computer Software Piracy: Dependable Tips and Helpful Information" are being made available to businesses through the SIIA and BBB system. BBBs across the country are being encouraged to distribute the brochure to their local members, which total more than 270,000.

The BBB brochure, which is also expected to assist consumers in meeting their obligation to respect copyrighted software, includes information on common forms of software piracy in the workforce and at home; software piracy and the federal copyright law; permissible software uses; and why using software ethically is important for businesses and consumers alike. Included is a helpful sample Software Policy statement provided by the SIIA for use by businesses and other organizations.

"The CBBB encourages business owners and managers to review and adopt such a policy to help avoid any violation of software licensing. The BBB message is one of fair and honest business practices through voluntary self-regulation and consumer and business education. This guide gives businesses the knowledge and tools they need to ensure ethical software management and compliance," Bast said.

In addition to assisting in the development of the newest topic in the BBB's library of business and consumer educational publications, the SIIA has the Certified Software Manager (CSM) course, free audit software, brochures, videos, posters, direct mail campaigns and other awareness materials. It also operates an 800 number (1.800.388.7478) that consumers can call to report a case of software piracy.