Drive against software piracy stepped up
KARACHl- The law enforcement agencies have stepped up drive against software piracy by arresting four unauthorised sellers and seizing 2,846 illegal CDs in four separate raids, on the complaint of Business Software Alliance (BSA).
“The nine computers loaded with pirated computer programmes were also confiscated by the city’s law enforcement authorities,” said Al Redha, Co-Chairman, BSA, Middle East in a statement here on May 9, 2003. All the computers and illegal software were seized as an evidence for the court, while the sales persons were arrested and charged with criminal violation of country’s copyright laws, he said.
The BSA, which has been helping the law enforcement authorities to identify the seized items, determined the computers were loaded with many popular programmes including PhotoShop, Norton Anti Virus, AutoCAD and MS Windows.
Al Redha has advised the pirated software vendors to sell only legal software, as they are making a living out of other people’s efforts. “Software piracy hurts the legitimate businesses that produce such intellectual property,” he added.
He pointed out that the software is produced through the efforts of a number of people including programmers, designers, artists, distributors, retailers and
other dedicated professionals. “They have to suffer at the hands of pirates, while the country loses tax on software’s sales.”
The ongoing raids, AI Redha said, are a part of the operation to clean up the computer software sales in the country and the BSA plans to make more raids and arrests.
“Copying software for any reason other than to make a backup copy for emergency use is a violation of the copyright law and un-authorised copy makers may be subjected to civil and criminal penalties,” he added.
According to the copyright act, if a person is found guilty of infringement, he may be liable to a fine of up to Rs. 200,000, seizure of products used for illegal copying and a prison sentence of up to three years, AI Redha said.
Source: The Nation
Date:5/10/2003
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