MICROSOFT, NIGERIAN
COPYRIGHT COMMISSION TEAM UP TO FIGHT PIRACY
By Basil Okafor
Monday, May 9, 2005
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“Baba,
you have no change left – after all I bought Hard
Disk, Soft Disk and all kinds of Disks, including even
Flash Disk! Which change do you want again?” |
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The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has, in fulfillment
of its mandate to protect copyright owners, invited a number
of PC resellers to appear before its Lagos office. This followed
Microsoft’s stepping up of its campaign on Intellectual
Property awareness, to ensure local compliance with legislation.
NCC had, barely a fortnight ago, responded to Microsoft’s
complaint to curb the invasion of its property rights by inviting
the local dealers.
A number of resellers from the popular Computer Village, Ikeja
Lagos, were brought before the Copyright Commission for alleged
Intellectual Property Right violations, following an investigation
that revealed possible infringement.
Companies from which test purchases were carried out include,
Smart Collins Systems, Mojoy Computers, Demek Investments
and First Hedge Systems. This was to ascertain whether these
companies based at the Ikeja Computer Village loaded and distributed
PCs with bootlegged copies of Microsoft software.
In a settlement meeting of the parties in the dispute, chaired
by the NCC’s’Head of Enforcement, Mr. Bayo Aiyegbusi,
the various companies, signed agreements not to infringe Microsoft
software in the future.
Also present at the meeting were Charles O. Amudipe, the NCC
IT Enforcement Officer in Lagos; Abednago Hlatshwayo, License
Compliance Manager for West, East and Central Africa and George
Medebem, System Builder Channel Partner Account Manager for
Microsoft Nigeria.
Others were Mrs. Adenike K. Shitu, Director of Mojoy Computers;
Lanre Odunubi, Manager of First Hedge Systems; Gbenga C. Olasehinde,
CEO/Managing Director, Smart Collins Systems and the Managing
Director of Demeks Investments, Mr. Damien.
The test purchases carried out from the various companies
were part of an ongoing exercise to ensure that all PC and
software resellers comply with the directive of distributing
only authentic products. It would also thereby ensure fair
competition amongst resellers.
By its action, Microsoft is sending a stern warning to all
resellers and users of its products to comply with the legitimate
distribution and use of its software. The warning also comes
at a time when the NCC has launched its Strategic Action Against
Piracy, (STRAP) to address the menace of piracy in Nigeria.
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