Official warns against the use of pirated software

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the enactment date for the law on software piracy draws closer, the government warned consumers and the business community on Thursday against using or selling pirated computer software.

The Director of Copyright, Industrial Design, Integrated Circuit Layout Design and Trade Secrets at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Emawati Junus, said the ministry had sent warning letters to businesspeople against the use of pirated computer software.

"The direct mailer program urged the business people to use original software in their commercial activities," she said.

Emawati added that the ministry would also notify the operators of malls in Greater Jakarta not to provide kiosks for vendors selling pirated software.

"Under the new law, a more severe fine and prison sentence can be imposed toward those who provide spaces for unruly vendors," she said referring to the new law, Law No. 19/2002, which stipulates that someone who merely uses pirated computer software can be sentenced to five years imprisonment or a Rp 500 million fine.

The law come into effect in July 2003.

Emawati also remarked that as proof that the government was committed to ending software piracy, the ministry would establish a task force to implement the new law.

"The task force comprises officials from the Supreme Court, the Attorney General's Office, the Indonesian Police, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Directorate General of Customs and Tariffs, as well as the software and entertainment industries," she said.

Saying that the piracy of copyrighted materials was so widespread as to be common practice in the country, she added, "The country will scare off investors if the government failed to minimize piracy."

The United States has already placed Indonesia on its priority watch list over piracy activities. This is one step below the classification of priority foreign country, which would be subject to economic sanctions.

A recent report from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) showed that Indonesia ranked third in software piracy after China and Vietnam.

In 2001, 88 percent of software sold in Indonesia were pirated, or that nine out of ten software sold in Indonesia were pirated versions, said Jeff Hardee, Vice President of BSA.

"The loss suffered by the software companies from the rampant activities of piracy in the same period was around US$80 million," he said.