Microsoft has commended the renewed efforts of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in fight against counterfeit software. Microsoft said the recent raids by EFCC would benefit the economy.
The agency raided the premises of a popular High Quality Counterfeit (HQC) software reseller with Head Office in the Ikeja area of Lagos.
“Counterfeit software is a cankerworm that is eating through the fabric of societies all over the world. Their prevalence has a lot to do with the sophisticated and organized syndicate of pirates but also can be traced to the resellers who propagate their use. These resellers of pirated software must also realize that they will be punished for contravening the law and putting people’s livelihoods as well as the economy of the country as a whole at risk. To win this fight against copyright infringements, it must be a joint effort of regulators as well as resellers.” said Francis Chuka Agbu, Microsoft Corporation’s local outside counsel in Nigeria.
Temofe Ugbona, Anti-Piracy manager, Microsoft Nigeria said that, “Software piracy is unfair play that ultimately hurts us all. Economic growth in Nigeria is thwarted by piracy – pirated software doesn’t create jobs for students, developers, or IT professionals. This is one of the key reasons we take responsibility to educate consumers, resellers and retailers about the risks through enlightenment campaigns, market education session etc. – and support local enforcement efforts by authorities like the EFCC – extremely seriously.”
Temofe added. “We’ve noticed a rising number of consumers unintentionally purchase counterfeit software from resellers and only later finding out they have been duped. In doing so, they expose themselves to a plethora of risks, which in the long-run can prove extremely costly for individuals, and often disastrous for businesses. Honest resellers, who sell only genuine software, are put on an unfair disadvantage, and ultimately the whole economy feels the effects.”
