On software piracy

I'd like to thank Mr. Louis Francis Blanchard Jr. for his recent letter to The Jakarta Post with his comments about the opinions of myself and Mr. Zatni Arbi regarding software piracy.

I cannot speak for Mr. Zatni Arbi, but as for myself, let me make clear what I regard as software piracy. When I admitted to being a software pirate, what I meant was I tried a piece of software obtained from my local computer store before shelling out hundreds of dollars for an original copy I might not like or use. That seems to me to be part of what Mr. Blanchard Jr. was referring to as product research before buying.

An example: I had read in several computer magazines about a new drawing program called Visio. I bought a pirated copy (thereby making me a pirate), tried it, and was so impressed with it that I sent off for an original copy which I now own. I would never have sent for a sight unseen copy of Visio at the cost of US$ 199. This way, I would think and hope that the good folks at Visio would be happy that I bought a pirated copy of their product.

As to Mr. Blanchard Jr.'s comments about new, expensive automobiles and software, I can only say that is an apples and oranges issue to me. I'm not sure how one can compare a Rp 250 million car with a Rp 2,000 diskette unless one compares labor, both physical and mental, and attaches a price to each. But that seems to be stretching the point. It is similar to comparing the export of timber with the export of software; the principal may be the same but the reality is quite different. I don't think that limiting timber exports to certain countries would hinder the development of that country, but a case can be made that limiting high tech items could hinder a country's development in several areas.

Finally, it is interesting to note that with all the so-called software piracy going on here that the word processing application package of choice in the overwhelming majority of government offices is WordStar, usually version 4. A few brave souls have moved up to version 5 or even 6 but you will seldom find a WordPerfect, an MS Word or an AmiPro among them. My question is: if piracy is so rampant here, why do government offices cling to outdated (by several years) word processing technology?

I have been in meetings with International Lending Agencies when the question of original software has come up and the Lenders invariably support the concept of original software. However, there is never funding set aside for this purpose, it is supposed to come out of the "office supplies" money. Of course, it never does.

JOHN R. FENTON

Jakarta