The Business Software Association, which is now touting itself as a "watchdog group," is offering to pay employees cash to turn in their employers for using pirated software.

The industry organization, which includes tech giants Microsoft, Adobe, Apple and others, sent out a Wild West-style reward poster yesterday hinting at why it is "handing out cash." Today it formally announced payments from a "Rewards Program" that encourages individuals to report infringements in their current or former workplaces.

BSA said it gave $15,000 cash to three people for reports of software piracy that led to investigations and settlements. All three, including an IT support employee and a customer service representative, reported on their companies after leaving them. The BSA didn't say whether it had job openings for anyone fired after tattling.