Software Industry Trade Group Launches New York City Billboard Campaign to
Fight Software Piracy 

Lincoln Tunnel commuters will view anti-piracy message over next four
months

March 30, 1993 (Washington, DC)--The Software Publishers Association (SPA)
announced today that a billboard version of its widely seen "handcuffs"
anti-piracy message will be displayed at the New York entrance to the
Lincoln Tunnel between April 1 and July 31, 1993. The billboard states
prominently, "Copy software illegally and you could get this hardware
absolutely free," with an illustration of handcuffs and the tag line,
"Don't Copy That Floppy." The billboard also displays SPA's toll-free
number (1-800-388-7478), so that individuals can phone in confidential
reports of suspected software theft.

"Despite the April Fools' Day kickoff, software piracy is no joke," said
Ken Wasch, SPA executive director. "Software theft costs manufacturers
more than $1.2 billion a year. This translates into fewer jobs and delays
in software improvements. By increasing the public's awareness of these
issues, we can track down the large offenders and also motivate companies
to start monitoring themselves."

As part of its highly successful anti-piracy program, the SPA has run
similar billboard campaigns in San Francisco, Chicago Atlanta, Las Vegas,
Miami and the Washington, DC, subway system. The billboards usually run in
conjunction with radio spots, speaking engagements and other media
activities in the local area.

Wasch will be in New York for the launch of the new billboard and is
expected to participate in a variety of local media events.

Billboard to capture commuters' attention both coming and going The
14-by-48-foot billboard is situated on Dyer Avenue at 41st Street, facing
southeast, so that the images and messages are visible to commuters both
entering and leaving New York City. The billboard leasing company reports
that more than 2.65 million cars pass by each month--which means about
88,500 cars per day. The location was chosen as a prime spot to reach
millions of employees who use computers on the job and whose work depends
on the corporate-wide deployment of popular software programs.

SPA targets offenders in business, industry, and education The SPA has
already achieved major successes in raising public awareness and in
thwarting companies who persist in illegal software activities. SPA
encourages companies to "clean their own house" and follows through with
aggressive legal action against those who fail to do so. In line with
these policies, the SPA has pursued an aggressive education effort,
distributing approximately 60,000 copies of SPAudit, its Self-Audit Kit.
This free package enables organizations to examine their own software
practices. The SPA also offers a range of educational materials and
programs designed to train managers, employees and even school-age
children in the correct use of published software.

SPA initiates more than ten cases per week against suspected offenders.
Fines have run up to $500,000. Since willful infringement of software
copyright law can now result in a felony conviction, recent offenders may
face even more severe penalties.

The Software Publishers Association is the principal trade association of
the PC software industry. Its more than 1,000 members represent the
leading publishers in the business, consumer, and education markets. The
SPA has offices in Washington, DC, and Pans, France.

Software publishers Association
1730 M St, Northwest, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036
202-452-1600,  Fax: 202-223-8756

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