Software piracy is a very big problem in the Philippines. According to the BSA, Business Software Alliance, an organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world, the software piracy rate in the Philippines during 2005 is at 71%. With the 71% rate of piracy, the Philippines’ IT industry lost about $76 million US dollars which is equivalent to 3 plus billions of pesos. Also, they said that the Philippines is one of the highest raters on software pirates in the world.
During early 2000s, software piracy was getting worse. Investments were halved because of piracy. Investors saw the rising piracy rating in the Philippines making them back down. Because of this, IT people had a hard time. Years and years have passed since then and more and more investors backed away from our market. This is due to the fact that each year, our software piracy rate increases as well.
Software piracy is a big problem because a lot of people are used to practicing all kind of piracy here in the Philippines and the IT industry is falling because of this. Because of software piracy, our IT industry remains as it is and is left behind by the other countries’ software industries. Our IT industry failed to develop because of this and it is found that potential software investments are lost and cancelled because of software piracy.
The problem in Software piracy here in the Philippines is that a lot of people support it. They say that they don’t have too much of a choice regarding these matters because of the poor status of most Filipinos nowadays. People would rather buy 100 peso software pirate products than 10,000 pesos of original ones because obviously, the pirated ones are cheaper and is much easier to find. They say that it is not practical to buy a licensed 10,000 pesos of software than the 100 variation because the life today is hard but that’s exactly what is making their lives and other people’s lives around them even harder.
You see, people nowadays lack education on this kinds of things. They think too naively and say that buying/getting hold of pirated products doesn’t harm their selves and others, which is wrong. By supporting piracy we doom our development in the industry. People don’t get jobs because of the lack of investment. People wont buy original software because of the rampant selling of the more convenient pirated software here in the Philippines. People will keep developing pirated software because of too much support from the people their selves.
What we needed was a counter-measure for piracy, an organization that will educate pirates that piracy will not be tolerated. That is where Philippine Anti Piracy Team, or PAPT, was launched. PAPT was developed 2005 when the Philippine government finally realized the need for an anti piracy team. There was a need to let people know that what they are doing is wrong and is punishable by law. PAPT then took action. First, they initiated a 30 day countdown for all companies, computer shops, etc to license what needs to be licensed, and after which was a raid. PAPT raided computer shops, business establishments, and continues to raid up till now. A lot of people has been captured and a lot of computers was seized by the PAPT due to raids. Alas something is being done.
If software piracy will be decreased, for sure the effects of what happened at year 2000s when investors backed off our market would reverse. More investments will come, and our economy will improve. Thus improving the lives of all in general.
Software piracy is a big problem for both the IT world and our economy, thus affecting the lives of people that lives in that country that is being affected. We get poor because of supporting piracy rather than saving the money we use to buy a pirated software. Stop supporting and the source will stop distributing. You wont steal a car, you wont steal a purse, so don’t steal software. If you cant buy it, then you cant have it. Same should go on what you do to get a car. You work hard to have one and not steal it because stealing is crime.
______________Sources:
Website Philippine Anti Piracy Team
http://www.papt.org.ph/news.aspx?id=2&news_id=24&paging=3
Software Piracy Rate in the Philippines Remains at 71%
http://w3.bsa.org/philippines/press/newsreleases/2006-Global-Piracy- Study.cfm
Piracy robs Philippines of software investment: study
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/24/1095961838408.html?from=moreStories
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