Microsoft
Again, the global software giant, Microsoft has raised alarm saying that economic growth in Nigeria will continue to be thwarted by software piracy unless the ugly trend is fought with relentless efforts by relevant authorities.
Just recently at the Microsoft’s global play fair day that spotlighted the impact pirated software causes in local economies, the issue of piracy was elevated to the global stage as countries around the world observed the software’s giant inaugural initiative designed to educate consumers, businesses, and governments that the decision to utilize fake software is one that is n For the software giant, Playing fair begins when people and businesses take a stand and demand legal software.
Last month, it would be recalled that the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), according to Microsoft raided the premises of Wisdom System Technologies Limited, a computer reseller located in Tinubu, Lagos Island following a consumer tip-off, an undercover test purchase and a subsequent petition to the local law enforcement authorities by Microsoft Corporation.
The raid was the latest in a series of enforcement activities by the NCC in recent months, aimed at curbing unfair play in the country, and addressing the harmful impact to individuals as well as the Nigerian economy caused by pirating software.
With the trend growing in geometric progression, causing economic harm than good, the anti-Piracy Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Seye Oloruntoba has noted without mincing words that Software piracy is unfair play that ultimately hurts us all.
“Economic growth in Nigeria is thwarted by piracy – pirated software doesn’t create jobs for students, developers, or IT professionals” she said, adding that , “This is one of the key reasons we take our responsibility to educate consumers about the risks – and support local enforcement efforts by authorities like the Nigerian Copy Right Commission, (NCC) extremely seriously.”
Illegal software harms local and global economies
In support of the global play fair day, the software maker has recently released the findings of new research which examined the financial impact using illegal software has on the competitive landscape within developing economies.
In the latest piracy research for Nigeria, the value of PC Software theft reached a new peak at $225 million in 2010, as 82 percent of software deployed on PCs during the year was pirated.
“The ability to insert more than $1.5 billion per year into these economies should be reason enough to play fair, regardless of the other inherent dangers pirated software brings to a business,” Dale Waterman, Microsoft’s Corporate Attorney for Anti-Piracy for the Middle East and Africa region, said.
Pirated and counterfeit software, he said is lining the pockets of dangerous criminals. “What’s more, when companies use pirated software, it hinders job opportunities and stifles innovation. It is also just plain wrong” he explained.
Consumers, businesses and economies
Nigeria is experiencing a rising number of what turn out to be ‘accidental pirates as people who unintentionally purchased counterfeit software from resellers they believe to be reliable and only later find out they have been duped.
In doing so, they expose themselves to a plethora of risks, which in the long-run can prove extremely costly for individuals, and often disastrous for businesses.
“I purchased a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate from what I thought was a reputable shop in Abuja, believing that I was buying a genuine version,” Ismail Sayi Pella, a victim of software piracy in Abuja has said, adding that, “When I installed the CD on my PC, I received an alert that the copy was in fact not genuine. I spent 45,000 naira only to receive a copy of software I’ll never be able to use. I was cheated.”
According to the victim, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between genuine and non-genuine software, unless consumers are discerning and know what to look out for.
“Every day we strive to compete in the global economy but when our competitors do not use legal software, it is very challenging,” Nnamdi Ezeji of High Performance Distribution revealed, saying that, “We take a lot of pride knowing that our decision to use legitimate software is not only helping to strengthen our business, but also helping us help other businesses grow.”
Author: Chief Editor
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