The Business Software Alliance — a group representing the nation’s leading software manufacturers — says it will offer Texas residents cash rewards of up to $200,000 for qualifying software piracy reports starting May 1 through June 30.

From 2005 to now, Texas has accounted for more than 10 percent of the alliance’s leads — second only to California, which weighed in at 17.5 percent.

Texas also is in the top two in recoveries, garnering more than $12 million in settlement dollars since the group launched its U.S. settlement program in 1993. Other states consistently bringing in leads and settlement dollars are Florida, Ohio, Illinois and New York.

“While we are pleased that Texas continues to be one of our top states for leads, we are concerned as this suggests a large amount of piracy is taking place in the area,” said Jenny Blank, the alliance’s director of enforcement. “There have been major advances in the fight against software piracy, yet it remains a very real, very serious problem.”

The group says software piracy affects businesses nationwide and costs millions in tax revenue and lost jobs. It cites an independent study that 21 percent of software in the United States is unlicensed. Last year, it says, the United States lost $6.6 billion as a result of software piracy.

The alliance’s reward program encourages people with detailed information about software piracy in the workplace to come forward and report infringement. Confidential reports can be made by visiting reporting.bsa.org/usa or calling 888-NO PIRACY.

Reward payments are subject to eligibility requirements, the details of which are available on the Web site.

Businesses trying to determine whether their organization is using unlicensed software can download the free software audit tools from the group’s Web site.