Turn in a Software Pirate to Collect $500

Stony Stevenson writes "The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is offering consumers up to $500 for reporting software counterfeiters who sell their goods on online auction sites like eBay. Under the plan, anyone who unwittingly buys fake software from an online fraudster can receive up to $500 if they report the scam. SIIA said the program is a 'don't get mad, get even' approach to stopping software piracy. It's 'a way for unsuspecting buyers to get even with auction sellers who rip them off,' said SIIA VP Keith Kupferschmid. The campaign, launched December 13, is slated to run through January 30, 2008."

Really?

[Spad (470073)]

Does anyone really believe that the £20 CD-R of Windows Vista they're bidding for in eBay is genuine in the first place?

Re:Really?

[aussie_a (778472)]

Definitely. I'd be willing to pay someone $20 to take Vista off my hands if I had bought it.

Sure

[Sycraft-fu (314770)]

People aren't all savvy when it comes to how this sort of thing works. Especially since you deal with two categories that get confusing anyhow: Software licensing and used merchandise. I mean first off think how confusing software pricing gets. ~$40 might sound like a stupidly low price for an OS but then you find cases where it IS that cheap. I work for a university and our volume licensing deal is such that Windows licenses are about $50 each. It's full, legit, through MS directly stuff. They just offer h

Re:

[jandrese (485)]

I think this program is intended to catch the guy who bids up to near the market rate for Vista with a picture of the genuine box in the picture and gets a CDr in the mail with a well known pirate key that fails WGA checks. Hence the "don't get mad, get even" aspect.

Downside: Such a seller is probably going to disappear shortly after sending you that disc.

Re:Really?

[BadAnalogyGuy (945258)]

On an auction site, wouldn't it be reasonable that sometimes you'd get an item for less than its market value?

Re:Really?

[by Anonymous Coward]

I have top post anonymously for this story.

My sister lives in New York city. She is very computer illiterate. She called me one day and asked for MS office so her daughter can do school work. I sent her a CD of openoffice.

Two days later she called me and said the computer store near her sold her MS office for $50 (with publisher and everything). I was shocked. I asked what the cd looks like. She said she didn't get a cd; She took the computer to the store and for $50 she got all of that.

No matter how I explained it, she didn't understand that it was illegal software. She just wouldn't get it. "But I pait $50 for it" etc.

You would be wrong

[geekoid (135745)]

You, and other posters here on slashdot would know, but that is a too myopic look at consumers as a whole.

Many people think they are getting a deal, just like when a 100 dollar coat is on sale for 50 bucks.

Just like people buy Calvin an Hobbes merchandise. Bill Watterson never licensed anybody to do that, so everyone that purchased a Calvin sticker, or shirt is a pirate. Should the consumer be aware of that fact? Am I now responisble to understand the trade and licensing agreements of every product I think about purchasing?

It seems obvious to you because that's your world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes#Merchandising [wikipedia.org]

Much better

[oahazmatt (868057)]

This is a much more fiscally sound approach than the previous attempt: Turn in a counterfeiter, receive one unlimited corporate license of said software.

As much as I want to have a problem...

[Donniedarkness (895066)]

As much as I want to be irritated at everything the SIIA does, I don't really have a problem with this. People pirating software doesn't bother me, but people making a profit off of someone else's work by pirating sure as hell does.

Re:

[AndyG314 (760442)]

I couldn't agree more, the whole point of copyrights is to prevent this sort of abuse. Not only are these rip-off copies bad for the artists/producers, but it's bad for consumers who end up with shoddy second rate products.

Re:

[blhack (921171)]

I couldn't agree more, the whole point of copyrights is to prevent this sort of abuse. Not only are these rip-off copies bad for the artists/producers, but it's bad for consumers who end up with shoddy second rate products.

What about a bit for bit copy is "shoddy" and "second rate".

I would imagine that most people who buy pirated goods on ebay don't know that they are. You get an envelope with a Microsoft Office disk in it that looks identical to the one that comes in a microsoft box. You put in the provided (false) license key....and you start writing term papers.

Unless you meant that consumers were mad when they opened up their office disk and realized that they had actually paid money for a shoddy, second rate office su

Respectfully Disagree

[mpapet (761907)]

1. This kind of incentive creates the equivalent of a software police state where anyone can report anyone else. It's the unintended consequence of promoting this kind of program. The general principal that an ordinary citizen now can disrupt business for no good reason makes me angry as hell. Do YOU keep ALL of the reciepts for your purchased software? That's the only legitimate proof.

2. Piracy ALWAYS works in favor of the proprietary software vendor. Adobe could quite easily switch to a hardware dongle to control access to their software. And yet they don't and they won't ever. Today's pirate is tomorrow's customer.

3. I used to work in a situation where there was lots of legitimate proprietary software being given out. Some of which would end up on ebay. Microsoft (at least) some kind of thing going with ebay where accounts are banned with no possible method of reinstatement. I had lots of co-workers have their accounts suspended for auctioning legitimate retail/unopened software. Don't get me started on how ebay routinely violates the right of resale.

Please reconsider the unintended consequences of supporting this kind of citizen-informer program.

Re:Respectfully Disagree

[mpapet (761907)]

1) The burden of proof is on the accuser, not the accused. It's always been that way, that's how the US works.

That's nowhere near the legal reality in the U.S. Case in point: tell that to anyone caught in the RIAA's dragnet.

2) It won't disrupt business if you're business isn't buying pirated software. Der.

Oh really? Let's say you have a smallish design/development shop and I'm a cross-town competitor. One of the first thing's I'll do when I get tired of playing fair is call these jokers and tell them your shop is full of pirated software. After that, I'll call the BSA and do the same thing. The hell it won't disrupt your work.

Ok; and yet that doesn't make it any less illegal. I'd wager that Microsoft, Adobe, etc support this measure whole-heartedly, meaning either they're doing something that directly opposes their business goals, or (more likely) you're wrong.
Clearly you have no experience with Microsoft and Adobe's corporate/OEM Sales jockeys or any sense of how the market for proprietary software works.

eBay can do whatever the hell they want with their auction network
Let's say you are right for a moment and give you an extreme consequence to your opinion. Your opinion on the matter means they can auction slaves, prostitution services and a variety of other horrible human conditions because they can do whatever the hell they want right?
The reality of the situation is they have to comply with U.S. laws. In the case of Right of Resale, that's an issue that was resolved decades ago by the Supreme Court. That no one has bothered to take ebay to court to force them to stop infringing the right of resale is another issue. Here's a nice example of how your right of resale is being infringed. http://www.linuxelectrons.com/news/general/14443/eff-supports-consumer-right-repair-resell-patented-goods [linuxelectrons.com]

Re:

[flynt (248848)]

So in your mind, what kind of profits must a company have before I feel bad about pirating their wares?

Re:

[cliffski (65094)]

Ah yes I forgot that all businesses that suffer from piracy are big evil faceless corporations that don't actually pay anyone's wages. I'm sure that nobody EVER pirates software made by small family run businesses. We are very familiar with those discussions on torrent sites where people take great pains to check that the company is evil and makes 'too much money' before pirating their work...

What bullshit. Pirates pirate EVERYTHING and don't give a damn whether they rip off sony or some guy in his bedroom

Re:

[clodney (778910)]

It's not people making a profit off someone elses work... it's people making a profit off of a corporations work!! So while you are making a speech about protecting the little guy, remember that no 'little guy' is getting hurt here

Even Microsoft consists of something like 75000 little guys. I'm sure that they would like to stop copies of their work being sold by others. I used to work for Jasc software, and Paint Shop Pro was almost always available on EBay (and we frequently did get EBay to shut down auctions). At that point it was about 100 little guys, and I assure you we did not appreciate others copying our product and selling it.

Re:how much can you hurt a billion dollar corp?

[Pendersempai (625351)]

It's not people making a profit off someone elses work... it's people making a profit off of a corporations work!! So while you are making a speech about protecting the little guy, remember that no 'little guy' is getting hurt here.

Except, you know, the little guys who have their retirement funds invested in the company, the little guys who work for the company, and of course, the little guys who use computers but will find them more difficult to afford if the price of the software rises due to piracy.

Before this turns into...

[SamP2 (1097897)]

A heated piracy vs anti-piracy debate so common on ./, please keep in mind the campaign targets those who FRAUDULENTLY pass off pirated software as legitimate (and where the buyer paid the cost of the licensed software to the pirate and is getting fake one instead).

This goes beyond piracy, this is simple fraud, and I have no sorry feelings whatsoever to the assholes who get snitched on by angry consumers who were scammed by them.

LFM

[moogied (1175879)]

I am looking for a man, any man really. Doesn't need to be in shape, well groomed, or even able to move. He just needs to sell me some software I will send him.

Please respond.

Brand new scam

[orclevegam (940336)]

I'm picturing a brand new scam here. Fraudster posts a auction on eBay for counterfeit software but does so in a very hard to trace fashion (lets say he has a cohort in China post it). Buys it from himself for some small amount then reports the "auction" as being fraudulent and collects $500 in profit. The cops are left trying to track down a more or less untraceable auction, and the fraudster gets to walk away with $500 for what probably amounts to a day or two worth of work.

Re:Brand new scam

[z0idberg (888892)]

From the T&Cs the seller has to reside in the USA, so thats probably going to rule that one out. Don't know how they expect you to prove where the seller lives, IP of email communications maybe? return address on the software that they send you?

Either way this is going to take a pretty dumb "pirate" for you to meet all the requirements and actually get your $500.

This combined with the fact that only the first 100 eligible people get "up to $500", seems like the most likely thing they are hoping for here is heaps of reported "pirates", but none of which qualify for any sort of reward for the snitch. Though that's stating the obvious a bit isn't it..

Re-read: "can receive up to $500"

[AHumbleOpinion (546848)]

Note "can receive up to $500". The money most likely has some direct or indirect link to the ability to recover damages from the pirate.

More details

[niceone (992278)]

TFA tells you almost nothing - the SIIA page [siia.net] tells you more, including:

the program only runs until January 30 and only the first 100 people to submit their applications may be eligible.

Not sure why they had to put "may" in there, but I get the feeling they're not planning on paying out many $500s...

Re:

[Tim C (15259)]

I would imagine that the "may" is because the pay-out will be conditional on getting information that leads to some actual results - otherwise you could make up any old rubbish or even report a genuine retailer and claim your 500 bucks.

How callous...

[kmac06 (608921)]

They at least could have had the decency to call themselves SIAA so we can include them in *AA

Feedback

[doyoulikeworms (1094003)]

~>Great seller! Fast ship! Turned into SIIA for $500! A+++++++++++++~

My question is...

[Nerdposeur (910128)]

...how can I tell for sure if my software is pirated?

I'll admit - I bought a VERY old copy of Adobe Illustrator off Ebay, for the express purpose of trying to buy the software legitimately. The old version was good enough for my purposes, and I had used it before, so I was happy to pay a little for it instead of a LOT for the newest version - especially since using it won't really make me any money.

However, I don't really know if it's legit. I'm torn, because if I find out it's not, dang, I failed to get a legit copy AND got ripped off. Then again, I'd hate to be using a pirated version.

What are the tell-tale signs - other than cheapness?

Re:

[Penguinisto (415985)]

Contact Adobe w/ the key and other unique registration info, and compare that to whatever info you got on the seller? They can tell you for certain. If it's not legit, then you can now go get $500.00 :)

I bought an ancient copy of Ray Dream Studio off of eBay a while back, which came with a license transferral form and the former owner's info all filled in and ready to go.

/P

One Cannot Trust a Snake

[CodeBuster (516420)]

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is just as likely to take your tip, bust the pirate, and then turn you into the authorities for receiving stolen property. Beware of who is offering the reward, you might end up with more than you bargained for when you bargain with the devil.

Shiver me timbers

[sm62704 (957197)]

"Avast ye swabbies, ye be in deep shit with the Silly Insane Information Arses!"

"What?"

"Ye be under arrest for piracy, ye scurvey dogs!"

"we're not pirates. I think your bird pooped on your shoulder."

"Aaaarrrrrr!"

"Why do you have that steering wheel on your belt, if I may ask?"

"It be for me wife, she's drivin' me nuts!"

"Look, sir, if you're arresting pirates..."

-mcgrew

The money is not guaranteed

[bagofbeans (567926)]

Per http://www.siia.net/piracy/DGMGE_1.asp [siia.net], the money is not guaranteed....

# Operation of the Program: SIIA's Don't Get Mad, Get Even program operates as follows: 1. To participate in the program, completely and accurately answer each of the questions on the "Don't Get Mad, Get Even" Application, and submit the signed and dated application along with the items identified in paragraph A(1) above to SIIA at: Don't Get Mad, Get Even Program Software & Information Industry Association 1090 Vermont Ave, NW 6th Floor Washington, DC 20005 2. The program runs from December 13, 2007 to January 30, 2008 5 pm EST. Only those reports received by SIIA between those dates may be eligible to participate in the program. All reports received after 5 pm on January 30, 2008 will not be eligible and will not be returned. The first 100 people who submit a qualifying Don't Get Mad Get Even application during these dates, and satisfy all the eligibility requirements set forth above may receive a payment from SIIA of up to $500 ("Payment"). The payment is intended to encourage those who inadvertently buy pirated or counterfeit software off an auction site to repurchase a legitimate copy of the software, and therefore, the amount of such payment shall be a portion of the MSRP value of the software. 3. After receiving a report an SIIA representative may follow up with the person who submitted the report with additional questions. 4. If your report is approved, SIIA will notify the applicant that they have satisfied the eligibility requirements (within 30 days of receipt) and will send the applicant a Payment by April 1, 2008. 5. You may submit as many applications as you like but each application must report a unique seller. 6. The software being reported must be counterfeit or pirated software (as defined in paragraphs (A)4 and (A)5 above) and must be owned by an SIIA member company that participates in SIIA's anti-piracy programs as listed.

Auctions only?

[sumdumass (711423)]

I notice how this said "on line auctions" and not just any copy purchased from any where. If I had $500 for each legitimately purchased OEM version of windows that WGA said was pirated, I could take a nice vacation by now.

Of course I went through the hassle and got replacement keys and all that. None of my WGA notices were actually cases of pirated software even though Microsoft claimed they were. All that I actually lost was my integrity in front of certain customers who seem to give less business when MS specifically claims that your an incompetent tech or a thief. (yes, they explain that you the person with the so called pirated software are a victim of a repair shop using pirate software to fix your computer or the place that sold it to you was stealing from MS. when the WGA says this is fake)

I wonder if the $500 covers MS's fake warnings from legitimate software sold through on line auctions houses.

Payton Manning

[RendonWI (958388)]

All right, I'll kill a snitch. Not saying I have, not saying I haven't... you know what I mean [youtube.com]

Re:Only idiots

[by Anonymous Coward]

Would you mind giving me your name and address?

Re:Only idiots

[91degrees (207121)]

Apparently you can get legal software without paying for it.

Weird huh?

Re:

[sm62704 (957197)]

His name is "the cisco kid" and his address is 31490. When do I get my five hundred bucks?

Re:Only idiots

[Pharmboy (216950)]

Not true. Plenty of 'cheap bastards', too, who don't care if the software is illegal, as long as it works and the reg-key functions. Generally, these are the people that are too lazy to learn how to use bittorrent.

Re:Only idiots

[liquidpele (663430)]

This is great news! Lets see.. there are about 20,000 students at tech...
That's like a bajillion dollars! I'm going to be rich!

Re:

[ByOhTek (1181381)]

I buy plenty of software, it doesn't make me an idiot.

If the cost (time+money+restrictions relative to my use) of software X is better than that of software Y, I use software X not Y. If I use the software (it's not like I'm being forced to use it, it's not like my life depends on using it), then I give the requested amount to use it. If the for-cash software is not worth what they are asking, then some of the free (as in beer) options probably are worth the askign price (free).

Re:Only idiots

[purpledinoz (573045)]

My friend got his e-bay account suspended because he was selling a legit, unopened copy of Windows XP (he won it at some conference or something). So in this case, is he a pirate? M$ says this is piracy... There's a lot of gray area, and I see that this might get ugly. On the other hand, if there's a flood of false reports, which will probably happen, since people will try to make a quick buck.

Re:Only idiots

[Sporkinum (655143)]

Similar thing happened to me. I had an MS Office I got from a conference and put it on ebay. MS had ebay shut down the auction. Rather than fight it I sold it on Craig's List.

Re:Only idiots

[Rich0 (548339)]

Does it matter?

Can you legally give somebody something with the condition that they're not allowed to resell it? It might happen all the time, but is it legally enforceable?

Re:Only idiots

[Just Some Guy (3352)]

There's a lot of gray area

No, not really. Copyright law says you can't sell an unauthorized copy. It says absolutely nothing about your right to sell a lawfully possessed, legitimate copy; only an additional agreement (such as an NDA) can legally limit that.

Re:Only idiots

[Just Some Guy (3352)]

The software licenses you get at Microsoft events clearly say "not for resale." What part of that did you not understand?

Meanwhile, back in real life, I can sell anything you give to me unless you and I have a contract stipulating otherwise. It's only when software is involved that people get these stupid notions of telling someone else what they can do with their possessions.

If you were being sincere, you should give up the "GreedyCapitalist" username. If I buy software or any other good, it becomes my capital. The whole idea that you can still control my capital after you've transferred it to me is anti-capitalist by definition. Ayn Rand would kick you in the crotch for suggesting otherwise.

Re:Only idiots

[Just Some Guy (3352)]

But Microsoft isn't "selling" you Windows X. They aren't "giving" it you you either. They are providing a software license, which is a contract you choose to accept, that binds you to observe its conditions.

That's a load of crap. If I go to Office Max and buy a copy of XP, until I click the EULA (and not even then according to most lawyers and jurisdictions), I haven't agreed to anything other than to trade money for goods. That copy is mine.

Being a capitalist means respecting other people's property rights.

That's correct. I'm not sure why you don't want to respect mine.

If Microsoft give you software solely for your personal use, and you choose to accept it on those conditions, you should respect their wishes even if you are not legally bound to.

Why? If that was the condition of the handout, then there should be a contract on file somewhere. Otherwise, nope, it's mine to do with as I please. Turn it around: do you think Microsoft is going to honor any non-contractual obligation to me? I don't think they're likely to start now.

That's not a troll, folks.

[Penguinisto (415985)]

If the guy has nothing but FOSS at home, his post makes perfect sense.

I do disagree with one bit of it, though. I remember purchasing a legit copy of Ray Dream Studio on eBay (IIRC, I had a few RDS-specific CG files that I needed to get to). Corel and Eovia wouldn't/couldn't sell it to me (it was way past EOL, even then), so eBay was pretty much it for options after coming up empty elsewhere. I paid $15 (and five bucks shipping) for it after careful reading and asking a few questions. It arrived in perfect condition with all the original paperwork, as well as a printed-out license transferral form w/ the previous owner's info on it. Eovia accepted the form without question, and transferred the license to my name (as a bonus, that $15 I spent allowed me to later get one hell of an upgrade discount on the Carrara software package).

While rare (no, really - rare as Hell), you can get legit software on eBay. Sometimes (as I found out once), it's the only way to even hope to get hold of a long-since EOL'ed closed-source software package.

Note that things like $20 "OEM Windows XP" doesn't count, or anysuch obvious bullshit... but a legit copy of something rare (like, say, "Leather Goddeses of Phobos" on original floppy, complete with original box, documentation, and 'scratch-n-sniff' manual), or something useful but long-dead? It's sometimes well worth it.

/P

Re:Only idiots

[BiggerBoat (690886)]

Only idiots "buy" software..."

I must be Lord High King idiot, then, because I actually enjoy giving my money to people -- and yes, companies/corporations [gasp!] -- who I feel deserve it by putting out a good product. I can put in a disclaimer about using F/OSS when and where it makes sense (which is not always and not everywhere), and how I'll avoid a company who may make a good product but who is unethical, but generally, I actually feel good about rewarding good work by paying for it.

Re:Kaching!

[reverseengineer (580922)]

Let's see here...five hundred dollars times 1.2 million Slashdot UIDs....

Re:Kaching!

[BadAnalogyGuy (945258)]

1.2 million UIDs, but only 26 unique users.

Still, 13,000 ain't bad.

Re:

[silent_artichoke (973182)]

I always thought that I was the only real person and the rest of you are very small shell scripts.