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IPR protection promotes
innovation, economic growth
Karachi—The losses to the software industry from piracy are
increasing around the world and if this trend continues new computer
programmes may not be produced, says Business Software Alliance (BSA)
Spokesman for East Mediterranean and Pakistan. “Software developers
are making this world a better place for everyone,” said Aly Harakeh,
in his message on the World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) and
urged governments, professional business associations and
educational institutions to promote Intellectual Property Rights’ (IPRs)
respect and awareness.
He pointed out, the global software piracy losses totaled $40
billion in 2006 against $13 billion in 2002. “This depicts more than
three times increase in the losses suffered by the industry in only
five years.”
Harakeh said software piracy has emerged as the single greatest
threat to the software industry because the advances in technology
are making it easier and more lucrative to steal software. About
WIPD, he said, each year the member states of the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO) celebrate this day in their own way on
April 26, to highlight the importance of creativity and innovation
in building a better world.
The global theme for this year’s WIPD is ‘Innovation. Respect-It’
and it coincides with the BSA’s Legal Software Promotion Campaign
being run in Pakistan till June 1. Aly Harakeh said the entire
software industry could create 600,000 new jobs, $24,000 million
additional tax revenues and contribute $141,000 million to the
economic growth, if the world’s 35% software rate fell by 10% over
the next four years (2008-11).
It is estimated, he said, that the Pakistan economy also lost $143
million to software theft in the year 2006 against $16 million in
2003. This figure may scale further up, if the use and sale of
illegal software continues, he added. Harakeh said human beings
ability to create and to innovate has no boundaries, because no
matter what country, or community children are born into, they have
certain distinctive intellectual characteristics.
The BSA spokesman informed Pakistan’s copyright law prohibits
reproduction of software without permission from the owner and the
violators may be fined up to 200,000 rupees. The equipment used for
making illegal copies may be seized and a prison sentence up to
three years may also be granted. —APP
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