Microsoft sales jump after piracy lawsuit<\/p>\n
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
U.S. giant software company Microsoft Inc., has experienced a
\nrise in software sales in Indonesia after it won a lawsuit
\nagainst local dealers for software piracy last year.<\/p>\n
Andrew Mcbean, president director of PT Microsoft Indonesia
\nsaid on Wednesday that the company's software sales in Indonesia
\nhad increased by up to 300 percent since then.<\/p>\n
\"We are able to track the sales of genuine operating system on
\npcs. And every month, it has been a new record of sales,\" Andrew
\ntold The Jakarta Post after the launching of Microsoft Indonesia
\nInformation Technology for Children called INTERAKSI.<\/p>\n
However, Mcbean declined to reveal the sales figure.<\/p>\n
Last year, PT Microsoft Indonesia won a lawsuit for software
\npiracy against five local pc dealers.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 25, 2001, Microsoft won the case against computer
\ndealer PT Kusumo Megah Jaya Sakti, which was ordered by the West
\nJakarta District Court to compensate the U.S. company some US$
\n4.4 million.<\/p>\n
A month later, Microsoft also won a case against four computer
\ndealers namely PT Panca Putra Komputindo, Altec Computer, HJ
\nComputer and HM. The Central Jakarta District Court ordered the
\nfour to pay the plaintiff a total compensation of $4.7 million.<\/p>\n
All five were proven guilty of violating Microsoft's
\nintellectual property rights by installing pirated versions of
\nMicrosoft's operating system Windows 1998 and Microsoft Office
\n2000 in computers sold to their customers.<\/p>\n
Indonesia itself is a haven for software piracy.<\/p>\n
The Business Software Alliance named Indonesia as one of the
\nworst offenders of software piracy. Indonesia ranks third after
\nVietnam and China.<\/p>\n
However, Mcbean said penetration of Microsoft software in
\nlocally built computers was still very little. He said that only
\nsix percent of locally built computers used the Microsoft
\noperating system, compared to 98 percent of foreign built
\ncomputers.<\/p>\n
\"We have a long way to go. But we are working on it and we
\nkeep reminding people of our intellectual property rights,\" he
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
In addition, Mcbean said, Microsoft business in Indonesia had
\nbeen growing well with the total business growth this year
\nreaching up to 35 percent.<\/p>\n
Apart from business, PT Microsoft Indonesia carries out
\ncommunity programs aimed at introducing information technology to
\ndisadvantaged and disabled children.<\/p>\n
Called INTERAKSI, the program has been specifically designed
\nto provide a wide range of opportunities to both disabled and
\nunderprivileged children to ensure their right to education and
\naccess to information through computer skills training.<\/p>\n
First launched in 1999, the program has now entered the 3rd
\nand 4th phase.<\/p>\n
According to Mcbean, so far, the program has contributed more
\nthan Rp 1.9 billion in both cash and technology support,
\nassisting 10 NGOs where 700 children have obtained their
\neducation through a computer skills training program.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/microsoft-sales-jump-after-piracy-lawsuit-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}