Microsoft has urged governments, industry and customers to increase consumer education about the significance of avoiding counterfeit products and protecting intellectual property (IP) rights.
Speaking during the Seventh Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy held on World Intellectual Property Day in Istanbul, Microsoft’s director for anti counterfeiting and digital crime in Europe, Middle East and Africa Juan Hardoy said his company was dedicated to teaching consumers the importance of respecting IP rights as well as the dangers that come with such usage.
“Microsoft is dedicated to educating consumers and businesses on the real risks they face from the dangerous malware, viruses and spyware that so often result from counterfeit and pirated software,” he said.
Juan noted criminals in the piracy business were becoming sophisticated and complex, hence the need for efforts towards more effective IP protection.
Microsoft says that by respecting the IP rights culture governments were encouraging their citizens to respect the rule of law, adding that legitimate technology businesses can support government and communities but can only exist when piracy is low.
“Environments where genuine software thrives also pave the way for better protection for consumers and businesses that know they can feel secure by avoiding the risks that come from using non genuine software,” the company said in a statement.
In Kenya the chief legal officer of the Kenya Copyright Board (KCB) Edward Sigei said the board was committed to protecting copyright as a way of protecting innovation.
“Without proper intellectual property law enforcement, we lack safety in revealing our brilliant ideas. Anyone can claim ownership of a potentially life-changing application, service or revolutionary product. The Kenya Copyrght Board is committed to the protection of copyright to create a healthy environment for growth of businesses and also protect creators and innovators from unscrupulous dealers,” Sigei said.
World IP Day is celebrated on April 26 every year in order to promote discussion of the role of intellectual property in encouraging innovation and creativity. This year’s theme was “Creativity: The Next Generation”.
