Study finds 92pc local softwares pirated
Sunday, 11 November 2007
FE Report
A seminar titled 'Staying on the Right Side of the Law with Software Asset Management' was held recently at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, with the patronage of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an organisation dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world.
The seminar, first of its kind in Bangladesh, was jointly inaugurated by the Copyright Office of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh.
A global study on software piracy conducted independently by IDC, the information technology (IT) industry's leading global market research and forecasting firm, has found Bangladesh to be the country with the fourth highest piracy rate in the world.
Bangladesh was found to have a software piracy rate of 92 per cent in a study conducted as an extension of the IDC's Global Software Piracy Study 2006.
This means more than nine out of 10 softwares installed on new personal computers in 2006 in Bangladesh were unlicensed or obtained illegally through software theft.
The high software piracy rate has resulted in US$ 90 million in retail revenue losses to the local Bangladeshi software economy.
The findings of the study have highlighted the need for action against software piracy in Bangladesh, where it has taken a heavy toll on personal and business users as well as the overall economy.
The broader economic impact of software piracy is significantly greater than the retail value of pirated software.
Among the many negative consequences of software piracy are the crippling of local software industries because of competition with pirated software, loss of tax revenues and jobs for lack of a legitimate market, and decreased business productivity for using unsupported and unwarranted software.
BSA Director (Marketing) for Asia Roland Chan said, "Software piracy is tantamount to software theft, and therefore, forbidden by the laws of Bangladesh. The risks of using pirated software are vast.''
Chan further said, "BSA is making a concerted effort through Software Asset Management (SAM) to raise awareness about software piracy".
Registrar of Copyright, Copyright Office, Ministry of Cultural Affairs MA Shah Mahmudul Hasan said, " the government is taking measures against software piracy. A notice already has been published in four national dailies highlighting the existing laws on piracy.''
He further said recording or distribution of computer software is a crime and violation of Copyright Act. Breach of a copyright is an offence and a court of sessions is empowered to take cognizance of the offence under the Act. Any police officer, not bellow the rank of a sub-inspector, may seize without warrant all copies of the work and all plates/CDs used for the purpose of making infringing copies of the work, and take other actions under the Act. The infringement is punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may be extended to five years, and imposition of a penalty which may be extended up to Tk 0.5 million (Tk 5.0 lakh).''
The costs of piracy affect both up and down the supply and distribution chains, he added.
A seminar titled 'Staying on the Right Side of the Law with Software Asset Management' was held recently at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, with the patronage of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an organisation dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world.
The seminar, first of its kind in Bangladesh, was jointly inaugurated by the Copyright Office of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh.
A global study on software piracy conducted independently by IDC, the information technology (IT) industry's leading global market research and forecasting firm, has found Bangladesh to be the country with the fourth highest piracy rate in the world.
Bangladesh was found to have a software piracy rate of 92 per cent in a study conducted as an extension of the IDC's Global Software Piracy Study 2006.
This means more than nine out of 10 softwares installed on new personal computers in 2006 in Bangladesh were unlicensed or obtained illegally through software theft.
The high software piracy rate has resulted in US$ 90 million in retail revenue losses to the local Bangladeshi software economy.
The findings of the study have highlighted the need for action against software piracy in Bangladesh, where it has taken a heavy toll on personal and business users as well as the overall economy.
The broader economic impact of software piracy is significantly greater than the retail value of pirated software.
Among the many negative consequences of software piracy are the crippling of local software industries because of competition with pirated software, loss of tax revenues and jobs for lack of a legitimate market, and decreased business productivity for using unsupported and unwarranted software.
BSA Director (Marketing) for Asia Roland Chan said, "Software piracy is tantamount to software theft, and therefore, forbidden by the laws of Bangladesh. The risks of using pirated software are vast.''
Chan further said, "BSA is making a concerted effort through Software Asset Management (SAM) to raise awareness about software piracy".
Registrar of Copyright, Copyright Office, Ministry of Cultural Affairs MA Shah Mahmudul Hasan said, " the government is taking measures against software piracy. A notice already has been published in four national dailies highlighting the existing laws on piracy.''
He further said recording or distribution of computer software is a crime and violation of Copyright Act. Breach of a copyright is an offence and a court of sessions is empowered to take cognizance of the offence under the Act. Any police officer, not bellow the rank of a sub-inspector, may seize without warrant all copies of the work and all plates/CDs used for the purpose of making infringing copies of the work, and take other actions under the Act. The infringement is punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may be extended to five years, and imposition of a penalty which may be extended up to Tk 0.5 million (Tk 5.0 lakh).''
The costs of piracy affect both up and down the supply and distribution chains, he added.