Software piracy has become so prolific that some countries, such as China, are rewarding anyone with information that helps to stop electronic piracy with up to $36,000 for tips on theft of movies, music and other copyrighted materials.Chinese piracy hotlines are open for any type of notification on illegal DVD peddling in city streets and the government claims to have shut down 200 illegal CD and DVD production lines from 1994 to 2004, paying over $4.8 million in rewards.That $4+ mill could be a worthwhile tradeoff. According to a piracy study published by the Business Software Alliance and IDC (a sister company of CSO), China suffered $3.5 billion in piracy losses in 2004 which put them just behind the United States with $6.6 billion.In North America, where piracy has cost software makers nearly $10.5 billion over the last five years, the U.S. Congress is on the case. Kind of. Last year, Congress passed The Intellectual Property Protection and Courts Amendments Act, which prohibits trafficking a counterfeit label to music, software or motion pictures, as well as providing false contact information when registering a domain name. Companies are also taking the matter into their own hands, at least their own legal departments.Apple brought three people to court recently for illegally distributing test copies of the new OS X Tiger operating system on Internet file-sharing services. Earlier this month, Microsoft sued Wiston Group, a computer software reseller, for selling knockoff software that violated U.S. copyright and trademark laws. The software maker became aware of the problem after customers called the piracy hotline complaining about the software they purchased. While governments and companies worldwide grapple with e-piracy on all levels, the pirates are able to stay at least one step ahead of the game. The sheer numbers alone, with nearly 100 million Americans having Internet access, allow for continuous opportunity.Rewards, legislation, and court action have got to help, but can they win the war against software pirates? Is there another way? Tell us what you think. Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe