C. Jakarta store owner tried for selling pirated software
C. Jakarta store owner tried for selling pirated software
JAKARTA (JP): A shop owner was indicted at the Central Jakarta
District Court on Friday for selling pirated Windows '98 and
Office '98 computer software.
Prosecutor Hermut Achmadi said the defendant, Phang Kun Mui,
alias Akun, 25, the owner of Brother Disk shop in Dusit shopping
center on Jl. Raya Mangga Dua, Central Jakarta, was arrested by
police during a raid on Sept. 23, last year, for selling the
pirated software.
"The defendant caused material losses to the owners of the
softwares' intellectual property rights," Achmadi said without
disclosing the amount of the losses.
The prosecutor named the owners of the software as members of
the Business Software Alliance (BSA): Adobe System, Autodesk
Inc., Lutos Development Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Novel Inc.
He said Akun admitted to buying the pirated software from an
unidentified salesman for Rp 20,000 (US$2.30) per package and
selling the software to the public for Rp 35,000 per package.
The defendant must have known the software was pirated because
it was so much cheaper than the original software, which is sold
for between Rp 500,000 and Rp 14 million per package, Achmadi
said.
A package of the original software, he said, included CD-ROMs,
instruction manuals, a registration card, a certificate of
authenticity along with the software's serial and product
numbers.
The original software is sold at authorized dealers which have
been licensed by BSA, he said.
The defendant only sold the CD-ROMs instead of the complete
software package with the officially required accessories, he
said.
"Akun, who did not have a license from BSA, realized a huge
profit by selling the pirated software," he said.
Akun was charged under Article 44 (2) of Law No.7/ 1987 on
intellectual property rights.
The article carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail
and a Rp 50 million fine.
Presiding Judge Hupoyo adjourned the trial until next week to
hear the response from the defendant's lawyers.
Akun is not being held in custody.
It is widely known among both the public and law enforcement
officials that a number of pirated goods are produced,
distributed and sold across the country.
The multibillion illegal business covers not only computer
software but also video compact disks, compact disks, books,
shoes, handbags, wristwatches and handkerchiefs.
The pirated goods have no trouble finding a market, including
among foreigners, because of their low prices and relatively high
quality. (jun)