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Users of pirated software given 35-day ultimatum
KARACHI, April 24(Dawn): The Business Software Alliance (BSA) on Monday
announced 35 day truce with users of pirated software in Pakistan, to allow time
to all firms, organizations and individuals across the country to install
licensed software to avoid legal action.
"The truce begins on April 26,
and once it ends on May 30, BSA will take strict legal action against the
businesses and organizations using unauthorised software," BSA Representative
for Eastern Mediterranean and Pakistan, Aly Harakeh, told a press conference at
the Karachi Press Club.
"Companies that take necessary steps to become
fully licensed will be excused from penalties for software violations occurring
prior to April 26," he said.
During the 35 days, Aly Harakeh said, BSA
would encourage businesses to benefit from its campaign, besides raising
awareness about software copyright and its application. He said his organization
was working in association with Pakistan government, police and Customs to check
software piracy in the country.
"BSA understands that the illegal
software in use of the corporate sector is for the main part a result of poor
system management rather than deliberate theft, so it has decided to run the
35-day truce," he said.
Mr Harakeh said software piracy was normally
considered as a 'victimless crime,' but in fact it cost $34.3 billion to the
global software industry in the year 2005, besides cutting jobs in IT sector and
reduction in government revenues through taxes.
He referred to a recent
study citing Pakistan having a piracy rate of 86 percent during year 2005 for
the business software, which hurt the country's IT sector by about $48 million
in the same year.
Computer users who do not come forward and clean up
till May 30, could face the risk of legal action, which may result in fines up
to Rs100,000 and imprisonment up to three years, besides confiscation of
equipment used for making illegal copies.
Your Comments
"hahahahaha- but it should not be for individual but could be for highly earning companies and organization"
Name: name
Email: hahaha@dot.com
City, Country: Karachi, Pakistan
"We will really appreciate this change as a software engg. but dont you thinnk this warning of piracy first should be advertised on TV channels like GEO etc. and warning should come thorugh governament directly on TV. so that one should be thretened by piracing and usage of pirated softwares."
Name: aqeel zia nayyer
Email: safinayyer@hotmail.com
City, Country: Lahore, Pakistan
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