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A
store selling pirated CDs in Malaysia
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia Correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, September 7 (IslamOnline) - Malaysia has this month launched a
crack down against the use of pirated software by local firms in a bid
to prevent piracy and thwart international criticism against the
country, news reports said.
Enforcement
officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry seized
late last week, computers and software worth U.S. $15,000 from a human
resource consultancy firm in Kuala Lumpur.
Full
pages advertisements in local newspapers had preceded the raids,
indicating that Malaysian officials were ready to go after 14,000 firms
suspected of using pirated software.
Last
week’s raid is the ministry's first "catch" in Kuala Lumpur
as part of the operation launched on Aug 9 to nab companies using
pirated and unlicensed software.
Federal Territory Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Enforcement
Director Mohamad Shahar Osman said the raid was conducted with technical
assistance provided by the Business Software Alliance, a news report by
Bernama news agency said.
Software
piracy is rampant in Malaysia with almost any single software being
available on CDs in specialist shops all over the country. There are
shops that sell only pirated CDs, even those made in Malaysia by local
firms.
Raids
on such shops have not dampened the influx of pirated CDs in the
country, prompting the Ministry to target local firms using such
software.
The 14,000 firms have been sent letters, urging them to legalize the
illegal software they are using. Most of these firms are said to be
using illegal operating systems, Microsoft, Symantec, Adobe and
Macromedia software.
The
firms were warned of the consequences of violating the copyright laws,
but it is uncertain that most of these firms will follow suit sources
said.
Ten personal computers installed with pirated softwares seized from the
firm would be produced in court as proof," Mohamad Shahar Osman
told a media conference.
“Some
companies thought they could possibly escape due to their small
operations and at non-strategic locations but they were wrong,” he
said.
"Senior managers and company directors must understand there are no
two ways of being legal. They are ultimately responsible for the use of
software in their organizations and if they choose to ignore their
responsibility, they will face the law," he said, according to
Bernama.
The
Business Software Alliance has also extended its reward to informants on
which firms are using illegal software. It is offering U.S. $25, 000 to
informants.
However
the current raids does not mean that illegal software will not be
available in Malaysia. They will still be sold on the market through the
specific shops that sells pirated CDs in the country, IslamOnline was
told.
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