Ubuntu-Pakistan Breaking IPR News - BSA & Federal Authorities to initiate massive crack down on Software Piracy

[Fouad Riaz Bajwa]

Breaking IPR News - BSA & Federal Authorities to initiate massive crack down
on Software Piracy
Submitted by fouadbajwa on Tue, 2006-04-18 05:12.
(FOSSFP Global Software Freedom News Alert) In an interview session
conducted by a private nationwide radio channel FM-100 on 17th April 2006,
BSA Middle east head Reza Al-Reda has revealed that BSA and Federal
Authorities (IPO & FIA) will carry out a massive crackdown on organizations
using pirated software in Pakistan. Reza revealed that a truce has been
announced under which Pakistanis have been allotted a time duration from
April 20th 2006 till 20th May 2006 to delete pirate software/illegal
software from their machines, after which,  pirated software users will face
heavy penalties under the national copyright laws being enforced by the
Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan. The real threat comes from
the fact that the Pakistan Government has not formally announced these
activities on national mass media sources leaving the public at large
unaware of this activity. Where FOSSFP is struggling to create mass
awareness on Software Piracy, its implications and guiding the citizens of
Pakistan towards Free and Open Source Software, the Government or BSA are
going to carryout an activity that may deprive Pakistanis to their basic
human right to use and benefit from Software ICT Freedom. In a country where
the population is well over 160 million, 47% literacy rate with a very small
fraction of the population capable of understanding English language, ICT is
still alien to a large amount of the population. FOSSFP has discussed the
issue with global Pakistan satellite TV channels and Dr. Shahid Masud of ARY
Digital has shown interest to voice this issue on the network provided that
a significant amount of concern on the implications of this Anti-Software
Piracy activity is voiced. FOSSFP is sending out an appeal to global Civil
Society and organizations in the FOSS Community to take action and buy time
from the Government of Pakistan to educate the citizens of Pakistan about
Softawre Piracy and its alternatives as provided by FOSS and Ubuntu-Linux.
To send your concerns to ARY Digital TV, kindly send and email to Dr. Shahid
Masud at viewsonnews at arydigital.tv or bajwa at fossfp.org. Help stop the next
biggest Human Rights violations in the emerging Information Society, help
educate Pakistanis on Software Piracy and its alternatives, help promote ICT
Software Freedom for Everyone!

Regards
-----------------------
Fouad Riaz Bajwa
General Secretary - FOSS Advocate
FOSSFP: Free & Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan R Secretariat
Cell: 92-333-4661290
Tel: 92-42-5030039
E-Mail: bajwa at fossfp.org
URL: www.fossfp.org ; www.ubuntu-pk.org
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