Feb

20

In the global crusade against software piracy and copyright infringement, the Philippine government through its Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT) is setting  their sights on the country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

The PAPT is a multi-tiered task force comprised of agencies such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Optical Media Board (OMB), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Their mission is to defend ntellectual property rights from abuse and violations.

The Philippines’ BPO industry is a thriving 8 billion-dollar industry as operators expand their operations in cities outside Metro Manila.  There are at least 100 BPO firms in the Philippines. Economists and analysts indicate that the industry is the crutch the Philippines can lean on through rough economic conditions.

Despite the ‘dependence’ of the Philippine economy on this business sector, it does not excuse enterprises to use illegal means to do business, particularly the utilization of pirated software in their operations.

The PAPT is keeping a vigilant watch on businesses to make sure they adhere to Intellectual Property Rights laws. Reported figures show that the losses due to software piracy in 2007 amounts to P7 billion.

There is an annual average of eight to ten warranted searches of enterprises accused of violating copyright laws by having pirated software in their premises. Presently there are 25 software piracy cases filed, 3 companies have since been convicted of such crimes.

The efforts of the PAPT are commendable in such I believe that this will make the Philippines BPO/IT industry stronger and more credible in the eyes of the global business community. A good reputation is a hard thing to make but an easy matter to break.

Though there are some groups who are not above to cutting certain corners to make an easy buck, illegal activities such as software piracy could be detrimental to true progress for enterprise. In building relationships and connections, trust is the ideal material. A scrupulous operator is always a reliable one.

Reference:

Villafania, Alexander. “Gov’t anti-piracy battle focuses on BPOs.” 17 February 2009. The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Accessed 17 February 2009. Link here


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