Ireland is the second largest exporter of computer software in the world, but has the second highest software piracy rate in western Europe.
Computer software packages such as Microsoft Office are not cheap and can increase costs for small business. Under current Irish law it is difficult to combat software piracy and,
It's cheaper to pirate than to pay.
Emilia Knight from Business Software Alliance Europe believes this issue is compounded by,
An absence of appropriate adequate legislation and secondly the law is not enforced.
Change is coming however as the Copyright Amendment Bill passed its final stage in Seanad. The maximum penalty for software piracy will stand at £100,000 and a five year prison sentence.
Just having the software on a personal computer does not make it legal. As business manager Anthony Delaney explains, users should check to ensure they are in possession of
Manuals, disks and a licence.
Computer piracy is a crime which prevents new business innovation, robs countries of tax revenue and eliminates jobs, not least here in Ireland.
Halving the rate of software piracy in Europe could generate an additional four billion pounds for the Irish export market by the year 2001.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 18 June 1998. The reporter is Annabel Egan.
