Software management: Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology Joseph Wong launches the Business Software Certification Programme and the Reward Scheme to Combat Illegal Use of Software in Business.

An independent software asset management contractor will be commissioned by the Government to provide free consultancy services to the business community, Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology Joseph Wong says. The move will raise awareness of and respect for intellectual property rights in the business community.

Launching the Business Software Certification Programme today, Mr Wong said the Government will approach 30,000 organisations to promote proper software asset management.

Anti-piracy perks

The software asset management contractor will provide free on-site software audit and professional consultancy services to participating organisations. It will also help the organisations check if there is any inadvertent use of unlicensed software within the organisations, and formulate appropriate procedures and guidelines on genuine software use.

The programme is a pilot scheme jointly organised by the Intellectual Property Department and the Business Software Alliance. Organisations found in full compliance of the programme will be commended with a certificate issued by the organisers. The Government will review the programme's efficacy to decide on the way forward.

Reward scheme

The Reward Scheme to Combat Illegal Use of Software in Business will increase the maximum reward from $5,000 to $30,000 to encourage the community to report incidents of software piracy in the business workplace. The scheme is financed by the Business Software Alliance and administered by the Customs & Excise Department.

A free series of Business Software Asset Management Seminars will also be organised for the business community until the end of the year.