This decision breaks new legal ground in the District of Columbia and sets important case precedent, said SIIA in a release. It preserves the integrity of SIIA's mission to protect its member software companies' intellectual property and ensures confidentiality to individuals who report software piracy to SIIA.
"We are extremely pleased by the court's decision," said Keith Kupferschmid, SIIA vice president, Intellectual Property Policy and Enforcement. "In the 20 years we have been conducting software anti-piracy programs, we have always strongly opposed any attempt at mandatory disclosure of the identity of anyone who reports piracy to us. In this case, we opposed disclosure at every turn and were pleased that the court agreed with us. SIIA's interests in protecting the identity of those who report piracy outweigh the interests of those who have been reported."
SIIA is a software and content trade association that, among other services, helps members root out software piracy. One way that it does this is through an Internet-based reporting form that allows confidential reporting of suspected piracy to SIIA. Where SIIA believes a report is well-grounded, it pursues claims on the members' behalf.
