Nigerian Copyright Commission clamps down on users of pirated software pirates

THE Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has raided the head office premises of a well-known estate management firm, Jide Taiwo & Co, in Lagos. The raid, which followed a tip off and undercover surveillance by the NCC, resulted in the seizure of suspected high quality counterfeit Microsoft software.The usual clampdowns have been on channel distributors but NCC is trying to take piracy fight to the end-users as well.In the raid, which lasted about 45 minutes at the weekend, different Microsoft softwares, which were suspected to be counterfeits were discovered. They included Microsoft Operating Systems Windows XP and Vista, Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Office 2010.Jide Taiwo & Co could also not provide the client access license for its Microsoft Windows 2003.Some of the suspected physical items taken away from the premises included a media for Microsoft Office 2010, keys for Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Vista and Microsoft Windows 7. All these items have been sent to Microsoft Ireland office for confirmation and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.According to the Deputy Director of Enforcement NCC, Mr. Augustine Amodu, 'Counterfeit software is a cankerworm that is eating through the fabric of societies all over the world. Their prevalence has a lot to do with the sophisticated and organised syndicate of pirates but also can be traced to the demand for them'Consumers of pirated software must also realise that they will be punished for contravening the law and putting people's livelihoods as well as the economy of the country as a whole at risk. To win this fight against copyright infringements, it must be a joint effort of regulators as well as consumers.'As at 2011, PC software piracy rates in Nigeria stood at 82 per cent with attendant opportunities for small business in the region of $250M lost. Local Nigerian businesses have had difficulty competing with counterfeiters that have priced their goods at below-market levels and are then forced to cut jobs.'This enforcement action helps in getting consumers to understand the risk they are exposed to when they engage in the illegality of purchasing counterfeit software or mis-licensing software as a whole. It also helps to protect genuine business whose true purpose is to add value to the customer,' says Amodu.Software piracy in organisations is often difficult to trace as the end users already have the software loaded on their systems, however, there is technology that makes this possible and regulatory and enforcement authorities now rely on that to broaden their reach to the demand market.
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