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Computer vendors held for dealing in pirated softwares

LAHORE: Installation of unlicenced software on computer hard disks is a crime by Pakistan's copyright laws, and the violators may face both criminal and civil charges.

Two computer sellers here in Hafeez Centre, Gulberg were apprehended by the police for violating the law and all their machines loaded with unauthorised software were confiscated, along with other gadgets, said a statement issued on Wednesday by Business Software Alliance (BSA).

The BSA is trying to provide level playing field to the local software developers, in association with Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA). The elimination of pirated software business throughout the country will protect the intellectual property rights of computer programmers based in Pakistan and abroad, it said.

The illegal software sellers not only rob the computer programmers of their genius but also discourage them from making new and innovative products. This results in loss to the national exchequer in the form of taxes and precious foreign exchange earnings through software exports to the developed countries at competitive rates.

At the moment, Information Technology (IT) is the fastest growing industry in the world but Pakistan is not getting its due share, despite possessing talented manpower, the BSA observed. In 1999, Pakistan's software exports stood at $200 million against India's export earnings of $2 billion.

The BSA said that more raids against pirates will continue in Lahore and other cities, to check the undocumented selling of computers programmes in the country and to enable Pakistan get its due share from the IT market.

Arrests have already been made in Karachi, Sukkur, Quetta, Multan and Peshawar as a result of raids on illegal software activity in these cities. A recent BSA study noted 86 percent piracy rate in Pakistan. APP