BSA plans to double efforts to reduce software piracy this year

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) announced today that during this year the actions of inspection in Peruvian companies are expected to duplicate in order to keep trying to reduce the usage of illegal software programs that nowadays reaches 70%. 
During 2010, the BSA developed a series of informative campaigns such as “We are watching you” (www.teobservamos.com), the complaints program “Stop Piracy” (www.bastadepirateria.com) and the direct contact with more than 17.000 companies in order to alert about the risks involving the use of illegal software.

Also in coordination with the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi for its acronym in Spanish) the respective steps that were taken permitted to accomplish a total of 228 inspection visits in Lima and other important cities in the country. The legislation permits Indecopi to initiate processes and impose administrative sanctions, such as the temporary or definitive closure of the offender establishment, the seizure of equipment and accessories involved in the illegal act, and the imposition of fines of up to 180 Tax Units (UIT), equivalent to 648 thousand suns to the offenders.

The BSA has settled as a goal to increase these inspections in order to contribute in reducing the piracy rates that represent a threat to the jobs and revenues that generate the Peruvian software industry.

Because of this it will also look forward to work with the Peruvian authorities as Indecopi, that in 2010 increased in a 156% the inspections to verify the use of legal software in companies in relation to 2009.

“In 2010, the peruvian economy grew 8.78% and was one of the highest rates in global scale. However, this growth does not completely reflect in the respect to the author rights and intellectual property, and this adds priority to strengthen the expansion that has been happening”, said Mariella Cerni, the empowered of the members of BSA in Perú.

“Considering the growth obtained in 2010, the dropping of piracy should, at least, duplicate, but for this it is important to count with the commitment of the informatics programs users”, she explained. “Both the BSA and the Peruvian authorities are committed to intensify the frontal fight against piracy this year because it harms the State principally and also all the Peruvians as it subtract taxes income and prevent employment generation”, Cerni pointed.