2nd September, 2014
The prevailing software piracy in the country is very worrisome and alarming. Intellectual property thieves have, at an unprecedented rate, continued to ruthlessly profit from lax regulation and seemingly uncoordinated attempts to fight the crime.
According to a global software survey conducted by Business Software Alliance (BSA), in partnership with International Data Corporation (IDC), 81 per cent of the software installed on personal computers (PCs) in Nigeria in 2013 was not properly licensed, and the value amounts to $287 million.
A visit to Computer Village, Lagos and Alaba International Market in the suburb of the state speaks volumes of how the illicit trade is carried out with impunity. At these markets, pirated copies of the latest software are being sold at far less than the price of the original ones.
The illegal trade runs into billions of naira in Nigeria; and most individuals and corporate organisations that patronise pirated software vendors do so in ignorance, and without knowing the full implications in terms of what the country and software developers are losing, as well as in terms of the dangers of getting their entire system infected by virus.
It is estimated that nine out of every ten CDs and DVDs circulating in Nigeria are pirated. Piracy impacts negatively on the growth of the creative industry in Nigeria and on the Nigerian economy as a whole. Counterfeit software is often vulnerable to computer viruses, malware and hackers, leaving consumers and businesses unprotected against data loss or identity theft.
Curbing the illegal trade is big task which must begin with mass education and awareness campaign on the dangers. Another important key to stemming the tide is a well coordinated local law enforcement and effective partnership between the public and private sector.
It is also important to curb the flourishing large-scale manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit software, which in turn will help check the rise in hard disk loading activities of such software by retailers. Besides, software manufacturers must find ways to make the software more pocket-friendly, especially for non-profit groups such as home users or students.
Government on its part must begin strict enforcement of relevant laws against software piracy so as to stem the tide. Maximum punishment must be meted out to those that continue to feed on other people’s intellectual property to serve as a deterrent to others. There is no doubt that reducing unlicensed software use will help to stimulate Nigeria’s economy, enhance productivity in businesses and prevent security risks.