It's getting stiff out
out there for pirates

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has just increased its reward ceiling for piracy reports to $1,000,000, reports Ars Technica.

The increase is part of a special promotion that will feature in online and radio ad campaigns. The offer expires in October; latecomers can expect to receive the standard $200,000 for accurate claims.

"Businesses often have a million excuses for having unlicensed software on office computers. BSA is now offering up to a million dollars for employees who turn them in," said Director Jenny Blank of enforcement at the BSA.

Actual rewards received by corporate whistle blowers depend on the size of the settlement, or awarded damages, that the pirating company must pay. A settlement of over $15 million is necessary for enterprise "snitches" to cash in on the $1 million boon.

The BSA claims that since the launch of the program in 2005, over $22 million in settlements have been generated from businesses accused of pirating software.

The paltry figure suggests hopeful millionaires carefully consider the likelihood that they actually will obtain a clean million for their efforts.