By Emeka Aginam

While vowing to charge more people to court over intellectual property, Microsoft has said that unless sound Intellectual Property, ( IP) policies were put in place to help reduce software piracy and counterfeiting which threaten legitimate businesses and expose consumers to the risks that come from using non_genuine software, the fight against piracy may be far fetched.

Emmanuel Onyeje, General Manager Microsoft Anglophone West African who addressed IT journalists last week in Lagos as part of its ongoing effort to foster healthy and competitive economies worldwide said that Microsoft joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in recognizing World Intellectual Property (IP) Day, an event that calls for the IT industry, governments and consumers to speak out about the importance of IP rights.

Meanwhile, Counsel to Microsoft Corporation, Adebimpe Adelowo in his remarks during the event said that times are changing, adding that IP law enforcement is now being taken more seriously.

“Mark my words: More people will be charged to court and there is high prpbability that some people will be jailed. As it had happened in the past, Microsoft will also not hesitate to revoke her relationship with any of her partners found engaging in piracy” he warned.

Strong IP protections are central to instilling a culture of innovation, which can spur economic growth, create jobs and increase revenue for the broader industry and government organizations, Onyeje noted.

Microsoft according to him believes that the global arena needs stronger IP protections in place to safeguard the industry’s ability to innovate, level the playing field for small businesses, and help local governments generate tax revenue through the legitimate sale and trade of genuine software.

“In addition to strengthening the economy, sound IP policies can help reduce software piracy and counterfeiting which threaten legitimate businesses and expose consumers to the risks that come from using non_genuine software,

“Software piracy and counterfeiting tend to thrive in places with weak IP protection, and this has an enormous and negative impact on the global economy.

“Consumers and legitimate businesses are asking us to take action and reduce the risks that non_genuine software exposes them to, and we are 100 percent committed to helping them,” Onyeje said, adding that , . “Microsoft invests heavily in technologies, education and enforcement programs to make software piracy more difficult, and we will continue to push for effective IP regulations on behalf of consumers and businesses.”

The software giant quoted a study commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce in 2011, saying that the global economic and social impacts of counterfeiting and piracy will reach $1.7 trillion (U.S.) by 2015 and put 2.5 million legitimate jobs at risk each year.

Not only is strong IP protection economically beneficial, but consumers are demanding that the industry and governments take a stand against non_genuine software. In a 2010 Microsoft_commissioned consumer perception survey of 38,000 consumers in 20 countries, nearly three_quarters of consumers wanted the industry and government to do more to protect them from risks associated with non-genuine software, including identity theft and virus attacks. By a three_to_one margin, consumers agreed that non_genuine software is not as safe to use as genuine software, and respondents named data loss and identity theft among their top concerns.

Meanwhile, to commemorate the World Intellectual Property Day, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa has awarded three deserving Microsoft Partners with the Intellectual Property Champs Award for their commitment to building long_term relationships with consumers by recommending, deploying and servicing only genuine software from Microsoft.

The award_winning Microsoft partners were Mrs. Ugochi Asinugo of HP Experience Store and Mr. Aderemi Adejumo of Resourcery both in Lagos, along with Mr. Vincent Mante of Hiperdist Ghana.

On receiving the Intellectual Property Champ Nigeria award, Mr. Aderemi Adejumo said, “I am honoured to be recognised by Microsoft with this award. As a trusted advisor to my customers, I remain committed to recommending they use genuine Microsoft software.”