PC Association strikes a blow against illegal software
Organisation sets up special hotline to combat pirates
The Professional Computing Association (PCA) has launched a crackdown on the volume of illegal software circulating in the channel through its unveiling of a whistleblower hotline.
Initially the email-based scheme only enables channel players to report their suspicions about Microsoft software, but the PCA do have plans to expand it to a greater range of vendors in time.
Once a reseller has emailed the PCA with details of its suspicions, the organisation removes all information relating to the whistleblower before it is sent forward for investigation by the intellectual property owner of the software, such as Microsoft.
Keith Warburton, executive director of the PCA, told CRN that sales of illegal software in the UK were "substantial".
"It's a massive problem in the channel and there's a massive amount of revenue that resellers are missing out on. Resellers have been looking for resource such as this for some time," he said.
However, Chris Bayne, managing director of software VAR Armstrong Consultants, was unconvinced of the hotline's benefits.
"The danger is that it could be abused by rival resellers or malicious ex-employees, and that will leave the accused with a lasting stigma. The best way to reduce illegal software sales is prevention, but at least this is trying to help," he said.
According to a recent joint report from the Business Software Alliance and analyst IDC, software piracy currently costs UK channel organisations roughly £1bn a year (CRN 12 December).