ISPON Moves To Eradicate Piracy … Calls For Joint Effort

The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the eradication of software piracy in the country.
The President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Mr. Chris Uwaje who stated this at a conference in Lagos maintained that the succeeful fight against piracy menace would be achieved through the joint efforts of stakeholders from associated sectors.
Uwaje noted that software piracy has in recent times remained a critical and complex issue plaguing the ICT world, regretting that Nigeria has lost over N19.8 billion to software piracy in the year 2010.
The ISPON President stated that government had proffered many ways of tackling the menace adding that the strategies employed so far have not produced a good result and called on all stakeholders to brain storm and find a lasting solution to the menace.
According to him, “Software piracy has become prevalent in the ICT industry. Efforts of ISPON members are thwarted by piracy. This has to stop and it calls for the collaboration of all stakeholders, the customs, the police, vendors, producers or developers and many others. We all must have a forum to combat the menance in other to protect our efforts and the time is now”.
Uwaje exdained that the major reason behind the lingering scourge is the isolatory approach adopted and stressed the need for a collective efforts to bring the menace to an end.
“It is unfortunate that so far there is no forum put together to combat the menace. And offcourse, the problem is that everybody is fighting in isolation.
Piracy is a global phenomenon and must be tackled that way. ISPON is concerned and we must strive to nip it in the bud as quickly as possible” he said.
Reacting, the marketing manager, Microsoft Cote Divoire, Mrs Victoria N’dee Uwadoka said Nigeria is losing fabulous income to the menace of piracy adding it costs the world economy more than $45 billion per year.
Uwadoka who was the former Communicator Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, stated however, that microsoft has on its part devised means of tackling piracy alongside other challenges in the entire ICT Sector.
She said Microsoft has hosted piracy training to ensure that law enforcement officials in Nigeria are armed with the necessary technical knowledge and awareness of the importance of intellectual property to further ensure that software piracy is tackled head on.
Uwadoka expressed hopes that the joint efforts of stakeholders in tackling piracy menace would produce tangible results and urged all related sectors to rise up to the call.