Biggest anti-software piracy drive targets large companies

MANILA, Philippines- An anti-piracy group has launched a new campaign aimed at weeding out pirated software used by large companies in the Philippines through massive raids. The Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT), composed of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Optical Media Board (OMB) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), formally launched on Tuesday the campaign entitled “Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late!" “A lot of businesses are in trouble for using pirated software," NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said referring to raids that would target several Philippine companies. OMB Chairman Edu Manzano said they are often tipped off by several disgruntled employees of companies using fake computer software. “So far, we have not been failed by the tipsters," Manzano added. For his part, PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa said they are eyeing stiffer punishments for end-users of pirated software and products. In the future, Versoza wants convicted users and “pushers" of pirated materials to receive the same punishment as drug convicts. “It is not only unethical but it’s also a criminal offense," he said. First-time offenders of the anti-piracy law suffer imprisonment from 1 to 3 years with a fine of P50,000 to P100,000. Since the PAPT’s organization in August 2005, it has conducted a total of 123 raids against end-users as well as Internet cafes, during which it seized over P300-million worth of computers and software. But lawyer Bienvenido Marquez, Philippine Consultant of the Business Software Alliance said only a handful have been prosecuted for the crime. “Since 1995 there have been three convictions of those involved in re-selling. We are still waiting for convictions on end-users," Marquez said. Manzano noted that software piracy has been hurting the Philippine economy in terms of revenue losses for the software and the rest of the information technology (IT) industry, in loss of thousands of jobs in the industry and others dependent on it, and in loss of millions of pesos of tax revenues for the government. “To save the economy from further damage, software piracy must be dealt with swiftly and without prejudice – no one will be spared from a PAPT raid," Manzano said. Manzano added that they have a list of companies they would raid in the future but refused to elaborate on it further. - GMANews.TV