By James Ratemo
Software pirates may never have a place to hide as Kenya Copyright Board ups fight against the vice.
The Board has embarked on an intensive campaign to put software piracy out of business through a series of sustained raids on suspected resellers of counterfeit software.
The enforcement campaign aims to reduce losses to an ICT sector which is responsible for the generation of thousands of new jobs, and millions of dollars in economic growth, while increasing tax revenues to support other programs and services.
Recently the board inspectors, backed by the police, carried out raids on computer shops in Nairobi where they netted a suspect involved in a suspected counterfeit software syndicate.
Stephen Mari Kithuka of One World Network Limited was arraigned in a Nairobi court facing charges of being in possession of 16 copies of counterfeit Microsoft software. He was released on a Shs. 200,000 cash bail and the court hearing of the matter has been set for May 2011.
Marisella Ouma, Executive Director, Kenya Copyright Board said these raids are a clear sign that the Board has resolved to deal firmly with those infringing and engaging in software piracy.
The move also sends out a strong message about the protection of Intellectual Property Rights, warning resellers who are engaged in the distribution of counterfeit software that enforcement action shall be taken against them.
Ouma urged software resellers to operate within the law by selling licensed and genuine products to their customers.
"The Board remains ready and willing to support software copyright owners by intensifying enforcement efforts to reduce software piracy in our country and ensure that legitimate businesses reap the fruits of their labour as per the Kenya Copyright Board mandate.
Lawrence Kinyanjui, the Anti-Piracy Manager for Microsoft, West East and Central Africa-WECA, backed the swift action saying piracy harms Microsoft’s customers and the legitimate partner ecosystem and must be addressed.
"Software piracy is a serious problem that has a huge impact on people in Kenya.
Unsuspecting consumers are at risk of downloading or purchasing counterfeit software that can expose victims to spyware, malware and viruses that can lead to identity theft, loss of data, and system failures.
Software counterfeiting strains a country’s ability to protect IP and generate jobs, harms local IT service firms, saps government tax revenues and increases the risk of cybercrime and security problems."
