Monday, September 25, 2006

Philippine’s Combat Against Piracy a Big Joke

“Software piracy rate in the Philippines went down to 71% in 2004, a decrease of 1% from the 2003 level. However, losses due to software piracy increased to US$69 million (PhP3.7 billion) from US$55 million last year. In the Asia Pacific, 53% of the software installed on personal computers was pirated in 2004, the same level as in 2003, with losses increasing from US$7.5 billion to almost US$8 billion.” – BSA

Despite enormous publicity of government about piracy, their efforts are miniscule to be exactly called, uh, effort. I’ve seen countless breaking news of pirated stalls raided, and usually, it’s the same place as before - Greenhills. I cannot understand why stiff IP (Intellectual Property) laws as portrayed on T.V. cannot prevent the perpetrators from selling their illegal goods again. But one thing is certain, the fight against piracy in the Philippines is beginning to become a political tool-A mask perfect for gaining the people’s confidence to the government.

Filipino software programmers are discouraged to make programs- and they have reason to be. While most Filipino people buy Pirated movies and softwares instead of licensed ones, Software programmers cry as their masterpieces spread to every computer like a virus, without compensation. They won’t even get a thank you remark. For a common pirated buyer, this mean nothing to them. But for a developing country like the Philippines where ICT is a critical tool for success, it’s a big problem.

The government must employ stricter policies to combat this crime. Piracy is not something to be taken lightly. Php3.7 billion losses is not just a shimmering number. It shows how lame our policies are and our fight against piracy

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