BSA president calls for software piracy crackdown in Thailand

NEWS Robert Holleyman, president of the Washington-based Business Software Alliance (BSA) was in Thailand last week to hammer home its message about software piracy. Despite continued attempts at education and suppression, piracy rates in Thailand are still running at over 80 per cent. The estimated trade loss due to piracy of US copyrighted software in Thailand stands at around $162m. Regional losses are estimated to be a massive $4bn. Quoting the result of a recent research report, Holleyman told his Thai audience that the software industry was expected to create over one million jobs outside the US by 2001. He added that legitimate software would generate $34bn in tax revenues outside the US in the same period. Holleyman emphasised that adequate protection of software copyright and intellectual property was an essential pre-condition to fostering a successful domestic software industry. "Rampant piracy is threatening to undermine the whole software industry," he said. "Copyright protection is the heart of the industry." Thailand's software industry has been stunted by intensive piracy, which has forced local developers to peddle their products in overseas markets where legal guarantees ensure their wares will not be instantly cloned and resold at bargain rates. Holleyman also announced a new alliance between the BSA and the Association of Thai Computer Industries (ATCI) and the Association of Thai Software Industries (ATSI).