Software Piracy Rate To Be Reduced For Thailand´s Benefit

[webfact]

Software piracy rate to be reduced for country´s benefit

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Business organizations have been urged to use legitimate software after the rate of piracy has been found to be as high as 76%.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has a campaign to urge business organizations to be aware of the use of legal software products. Information of Intellectual Property Law distribution and the promotion to enhance understanding among the business managements of using lawful software within organization are the activities to be performed by the BSA continuously with the aim to reduce piracy rate.

The BSA Advisor Warunee Ratchatapattanakul stated that in the past two year, BSA had cooperated with the Department of Intellectual Property, the Economic Crime Division, Software Industry Promotion Agency (Public Organization) and the Association of Thai Software Industry to organize the seminar “ Software Asset Management-SAM” nationwide to make the businesses realize the importance of using copyrighted software.

Currently, the rate of software piracy in Thailand is at 76%. On 11 May 2010, the Economic Crime Division will announce the 7th studied result of the software piracy rate. This study will identify economic benefit to be obtained if the piracy decreased such as the opportunity of employment and the growth of overall Thai economy.

-- NNT 2010-04-25

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[tracer5050]

I guess this may close pon tip if it works

[yesdavy]

Must be targeting 75%. IT guys here have told me that they get a phone call when inspectors are on the way.

[bridge]

Well at least 24% of people are doing the right thing

[Farangdong]

What a joke...

[gotglue]

Yellow government...... Kick on boys!

[orchidlady]

This is very funny. i have worked at a top government university since before Abhisit became Prime Minister. The software on our department's computers (and I know at least three other departments where it is the same...) always cause the windows warning....your software is not legal or something similar. Are they going to crack down on the government offices also?

[Dissolution]

Someone should check if the BSA is using pirated software.

[TAWP]

Must be targeting 75%. IT guys here have told me that they get a phone call when inspectors are on the way.

Which would do nothing in a big organization unless you think any company can exchange all of their client or server software in a matter of hours.

[fredob43]

When I got my comp; had one hel_l of a job getting non pirated goodie's, Most of the peep's told me, even if I paid extra I would still more than likely get a copy. Got the goodie's in the end (I think???)

[minburi2]

This is very funny. i have worked at a top government university since before Abhisit became Prime Minister. The software on our department's computers (and I know at least three other departments where it is the same...) always cause the windows warning....your software is not legal or something similar. Are they going to crack down on the government offices also?

Most other schools in Thailand have been using copy software from when I first came to Thailand in the late 90's and bet they will be doing so for ages to come

[safeandsound]

This is the least of Thailand's worries at the moment.

[djlest]

You have to laugh really... we have sharpened bamboo spears lining the streets and molotov cocktails at the ready...

You wont take our Pirate software away from us !!!

but if they do im sure they will sell it back to us eventually.... for a slight markup...

[Jingthing]

I recently noticed fewer vendors at Tukcom Pattaya were offering copy Windows software. The legal crackdown was specifically mentioned.

[Spoonman]

We use a high end 3d Cad program at work, The Thai distributor was having some issues with getting the licensed software to run properly so as an interim solution they gave us a cracked copy of the full suite which for some reason had no conflicts, They finally got the licensed software issue sorted but let us keep running the dodgy version, they moved the dodgy off the C: drive and installed the licensed copy and put a shortcut on the desktop to point to the dodgy copy !!!!

Edited April 25, 2010 by Spoonman

[Jingthing]

They should price software much lower for Thailand activation. That would help change the culture over time.

[virtualtraveller]

They can't even police protesters causing Anarchy in the streets, but they're going after piracy!

Even when I buy a computer from a reputed dealer they offer to install dodgy Office software on it, I'm talking the official Dell dealer.

[Oberkommando]

I'm surprised people are still buying from these pirate vendors now that it is so easy to download and not talking about stealing I mean freeware.

It would be good to get rid of the vendors from Panthip as they are nothing but a criminal annoyance.

When I was there last time I was offered child pornography after refusing their poor quality copied pornographic DVDs and the youth was lucky not to have received several punches to the face as I surely would have done had I been back in Scotland without hesitation. Common sense prevailed as I have seen someone fatally stabbed by a mob of Thai youths outside Panthip a couple of years ago.

Edited April 25, 2010 by Oberkommando

[steven100]

76% ... good , I hope it goes to 80%

As I have explained before .. the street sweeper can never afford a rolex or original guicci !

But remember the small street seller sells a fake rolex ... pays the rent at home ... feeds his family ... maybe employs one other poor thai person ....

I can never afford an original rolex and I would buy a copy tomorrow if the price is reasonable.

As everyone knows it's all bought on by Americas pressure to eleviate piracy.

Well I hate corporate america ... and I hate bank CEO's who squirm when sitting in front of congress after there bailout ... what a bunch of #$###wits !! ( pardon the expression )

I hope piracy skyrockets and the Guicci's and the Armani's go broke !! selling a copy to a street sweeper or anyone who cannot afford a real rolex does absolutely no harm whatsoever !

If you ran a poll and posted the same question I'm sure the results would be the same ... Corporations suck !! and most people hate them.

Edited April 25, 2010 by steven100

[Oberkommando]

76% ... good , I hope it goes to 80%

As I have explained before .. the street sweeper can never afford a rolex or original guicci !

But remember the small street seller sells a fake rolex ... pays the rent at home ... feeds his family ... maybe employs one other poor thai person ....

I can never afford an original rolex and I would buy a copy tomorrow if the price is reasonable.

So just because you can't afford it people should be allowed to copy, profit from and take credit for others' work?

Sorry, but I don't agree with you.

[elkangorito]

The original post said:

On 11 May 2010, the Economic Crime Division will announce the 7th studied result of the software piracy rate. This study will identify economic benefit to be obtained if the piracy decreased such as the opportunity of employment and the growth of overall Thai economy.

I wonder how many people who work for this 'Economic Crime Division', have illegal software on their home computers? I'd also wager that this wonderful 'Economic Crime Division' uses pirated software on the computers at their place of work.

At the moment & if software piracy was to be instantly eradicated overnight in Thailand, many businesses would be forced to 'shut shop'. Also, the sudden expense of buying non-pirated software for many companies/institutions would be passed onto clients. Consequently & due to the entrenched 'pirating' that goes on in Thailand, any action that is enforced against software piracy could have devastating effects...particularly for small businesses.

Since nothing in Thailand is enforced unless it relates to Lese Majeste or 'culture', I think that the whole idea of any kind of piracy software 'legal action' is nothing more than the usual 'hot air' expelled by the usual Thai government departments.

[redparrot]

76%? I'm sure they meant 99.76%, that's got to be a typo.

I'm sure many Thais would gladly buy Windows 7, for example, if it didn't cost Baht 10,000 ...more than most Thais earn in one month.

[Oberkommando]

I'm sure many Thais would gladly buy Windows 7, for example, if it didn't cost Baht 10,000 ...more than most Thais earn in one month.

Plenty of alternatives to Microsoft OS, many of them cost nothing and are arguably better.

Don't have to steal.

[elkangorito]

Plenty of alternatives to Microsoft OS, many of them cost nothing and are arguably better.

Don't have to steal.

This is true except that many 'programs' are not written in Thai. Also, many Thais have no idea whatsoever of the alternatives available.

[traderjm]

Must be targeting 75%. IT guys here have told me that they get a phone call when inspectors are on the way.

Which would do nothing in a big organization unless you think any company can exchange all of their client or server software in a matter of hours.

No word of a lie my wife used to work for a company out near the Airport (swampy) that exported to a number of Western Countries I won't say what no need to embarrass them further, but they too used to receive a call when the inspectors where on they way.

They usually had one or two machines in each department that were totally legal software wise, the rest not. When the call came they would gather up all the other computers and stick them in storage rooms, washrooms etc... granted it was not like they were hiding hundreds of computers a couple dozen at most but that is a very very funny commentary on the state of things here..... I mean did the inspectors really not notice the missing items from desks, floors, notice the off colored floors etc... see no evil, it must not exist...

[aussiebebe]

76%? I'm sure they meant 99.76%, that's got to be a typo.

I'm sure many Thais would gladly buy Windows 7, for example, if it didn't cost Baht 10,000 ...more than most Thais earn in one month.

That's a great point - I can't believe 24% of people use legitimate software. Two years ago, the company I work for switched to a form of LINUX. It's free, virus-free, has alternatives to almost every MS program and actually allows windows to be run 'inside' it in some sort of compressed form if you choose, it's even compatible with MS. Prior to 'having' to use LINUX, I'd heard of it but had no experience - I don't blame the Thai's for ignorance.

Instead of inspections, the best thing the government could do if it cared would be to teach LINUX to school kids in high-school. Not to sound conspiratorial, but Microsoft probably have a hand in why this isn't happening. Having an 'Anti-piracy' initative creates more jobs and is all part of the cycle which perpetuates MS dominance.

LINUX always seemed like a weird techy niche option, but it's just as easy as windows.

[elkangorito]

Instead of inspections, the best thing the government could do if it cared would be to teach LINUX to school kids in high-school.

Ahem! There are many things the 'government' could do to make education worthwhile in this country.

At the moment, there is no government...the twits are too busy fighting amongst themselves.

Also, Thai Culture prevents many 'things' from changing.

[Spee]

What a joke...

Hardly ... unless you consider the annual theft of billions of dollars of intellectual property and products to be a joke.

Hypothetically speaking, what if 30% of Thailand's annual rice exports or shrimp exports were being stolen? People would certainly pitch one helluva fit and rightly so. This is no different.

In this part of the world, the BSA is really targeting China, which is the world's leading exporter of pirated software, much of which finds its was to Thailand. For every company that is brought into compliance, it is one source for China to dump illegal software.

[Spoonman]

76%? I'm sure they meant 99.76%, that's got to be a typo.

I'm sure many Thais would gladly buy Windows 7, for example, if it didn't cost Baht 10,000 ...more than most Thais earn in one month.

Yeah, ermm win7 does not cost 10,000b, so your example is not a valid one.

[321niti123]

totally against this, I want My Fakes!!! Don't take torrent away from me too!!! :D