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Oct 28, 2009
Sites raided for illegal software <!--10 min-->
<!-- headline one : start --> <!-- headline one : end --> <!-- Author --> <!-- show image if available --> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr></tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold">By Chua Hian Hou </td></tr></tbody></table>
THE Johor premises of two Singapore-linked companies were raided by the Malaysian authorities for using illegal software last week. In a three-day operation last week, Malaysian Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism officers hit the premises of five companies, seizing 81 computers and 185 copies of infringing software from companies like Adobe and Microsoft worth $1.6 million. Of the five, two had Singapore shareholders, said software industry watchdog Business Software Alliance in a statement on Wednesday. These are not the first Singapore-linked companies to run afoul of copyright laws overseas. A publicly-listed shipbuilder's yard in Batam and a bedding products company's Malaysian office were raided and found with infringing software within the last two years. The BSA's senior regional director of anti-piracy, Mr Tarun Sawney, said: 'Singaporean companies in general must ensure that they are using only licensed and legal software ... From our experience in other markets, there is also the additional risk that investigations on businesses abroad could also result in investigations on their headquarters on home soil.' The BSA has also upped the reward it will offer whistleblowers who tell on such workplace misdeeds, from the previous cap of $20,000 to $50,000.
Oct 28, 2009
Sites raided for illegal software <!--10 min-->
<!-- headline one : start --> <!-- headline one : end --> <!-- Author --> <!-- show image if available --> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr></tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold">By Chua Hian Hou </td></tr></tbody></table>
THE Johor premises of two Singapore-linked companies were raided by the Malaysian authorities for using illegal software last week. In a three-day operation last week, Malaysian Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism officers hit the premises of five companies, seizing 81 computers and 185 copies of infringing software from companies like Adobe and Microsoft worth $1.6 million. Of the five, two had Singapore shareholders, said software industry watchdog Business Software Alliance in a statement on Wednesday. These are not the first Singapore-linked companies to run afoul of copyright laws overseas. A publicly-listed shipbuilder's yard in Batam and a bedding products company's Malaysian office were raided and found with infringing software within the last two years. The BSA's senior regional director of anti-piracy, Mr Tarun Sawney, said: 'Singaporean companies in general must ensure that they are using only licensed and legal software ... From our experience in other markets, there is also the additional risk that investigations on businesses abroad could also result in investigations on their headquarters on home soil.' The BSA has also upped the reward it will offer whistleblowers who tell on such workplace misdeeds, from the previous cap of $20,000 to $50,000.
