KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will begin a nationwide crackdown on the use of pirated software by businesses on Sunday, declaring war on the rampant use of illegally copied programs, the official Bernama news agency reported on Saturday.

"Operation Genuine" will involve some 300 officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry as well as software experts from the Business Software Alliance (BSA), which represents U.S. software publishers, it said.

The International Intellectual Property Alliance estimates that U.S. trade losses due to the piracy of movies, music, software and publishing materials in Malaysia last year rose to $316.5 million from $140 million in 2000.

"We have declared an all-out war," said Mohamed Roslan Mahayudin, the ministry's Enforcement Division Deputy General.

"Previously we focused on companies, but this time around we will also take action against their senior management if it is found that they have failed to take appropriate measures to curb the use of pirated software by their companies," he told Bernama.

Bernama did not say how long the crackdown will last, but the authorities have periodically conducted raids on pirated entertainment compact discs and computer software in capital Kuala Lumpur.

In a sweep up and down the country last year, officials seized more than 2,000 street vendors of illegal CDs, VCDs and DVDs.

Bernama said companies and senior managers found guilty of using pirated software could be fined up to 10,000 ringgit ($2,631) or jailed for up to five years. They could also receive both punishments.

U.S. officials say Malaysia has good piracy laws but is not rigorously enforcing them.

(US$1 = 3.8 ringgit)