Enforcement actions year-to-date, Selangor tops with 6 raids conducted and more than RM1million worth of computers and suspected pirated software seized.

BSA supports software piracy efforts with limited time offer of RM50,000* reward.

Putrajaya, March 16, 2015 –

Mohd Roslan bin Mahayudin, the Director of Enforcement of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (“MDTCC”) announced today that enforcement officers around the country will give added emphasis to enforcing the Copyright Act against errant businesses for using pirated software to conduct their businesses; to keep corporate software piracy in check in the months ahead.

Announcing this at a media conference held at a local hotel venue in Putrajaya, Mohd Roslan said, “Enforcement action is necessary to ensure that the most recalcitrant companies are taught a hard lesson in respecting the intellectual property rights of others. For cases where the Copyright Law is completely disregarded, a warrant of arrest against the company directors and/or senior manager will be initiated.”

Mohd Roslan added, “Year-to-date, the Enforcement Division of the Ministry has conducted 10 enforcement actions nationwide - 6 in Selangor, 2 in Penang, and one each in Melaka and Kuala Lumpur - with seizures (25 computers and 186 copies of suspected pirated software) to the tune of RM2.4 million.”

Three of the most recent enforcement actions were undertaken by the MDTCC branch office in Petaling Jaya against 2 engineering firms and an interior design agency on March 10, 11, and 12, consecutively.

Overall, the 6 enforcement actions undertaken by the MDTCC in Selangor year-to-date have netted a total seizure of RM1.1 million worth of computer hardware and suspected pirated/unlicensed software.

Enforcement actions undertaken elsewhere around the country year-to-date, are as follow:

Selangor

Actions: 6Hardware Seized: 15Value of Hardware (RM): 45,000Software Seized: 125Value of Software (RM): 1,097,900HW & SW Value (RM): 1,142,900

Penang

Actions: 2Hardware Seized: 3Value of Hardware (RM): 9,000Software Seized: 13Value of Software (RM): 450,000HW & SW Value (RM): 459,000

Melaka

Actions: 1Hardware Seized: 4Value of Hardware (RM): 12,000Software Seized: 15Value of Software (RM): 274,000HW & SW Value (RM): 286,000

Kuala Lumpur

Actions: 1Hardware Seized: 3Value of Hardware (RM): 9,000Software Seized: 33Value of Software (RM): 500,000HW & SW Value (RM): 509,000

Total

Actions: 10Hardware Seized: 25Value of Hardware (RM): 75,000Software Seized: 186Value of Software (RM): 2,321,900HW & SW Value (RM): 2,396,900

Mohd Roslan reaffirmed the government’s continued commitment to intellectual property rights protection and warned companies nationwide against flouting the law.

“Rest assured, the Ministry will cast our anti-piracy net far and wide, without fear or favour, to ensure that those who choose to use pirated software are caught and brought to book.”

According to the Copyright Act of 1987, if a business is found to have used or is in possession of illegal copies of software, the business as well as its senior management may face criminal prosecution. If convicted, the responsible individuals and/or business will face a fine of between RM2,000 to RM20,000 for each infringing copy, a prison sentence of up to five years, or both. For all these offences, the penalties increase two-fold in subsequent convictions.

Also present at the media conference was BSA’s Senior Director – Enforcement, Asia Pacific, Tarun Sawney, who thanked Mohd Roslan and his enforcement officers for their continued commitment and support in fighting software piracy in Malaysia.

“Over the years, BSA | The Software Alliance (“BSA”) had initiated many education and awareness building programs aimed at educating and assisting companies address their software licensing and management issues. It is through these campaigns, and with the strong support of the MDTCC, that we are seeing the fruits of our labour. Malaysia’s software piracy rate in 2013 was rated is at its lowest ever at 54 percent,” said Sawney.

“However, we cannot rest on our laurels. A new report commissioned by BSA and conducted by global research firm IDC, confirmed that there is a strong correlation between rates of unlicensed software installations and malware infections. Malware infections can cause significant harm, and organizations are struggling with how best to protect themselves. We strongly believe that a critical threshold step organizations can take to counter this threat is to ensure that the software they are running is genuine and fully licensed.”

“Cybercrime is on the rise, and it strikes across borders. Businesses must adopt immediate and effective software management practices to safeguard their own interest. As a gesture in support of the current government initiatives against software piracy, the BSA is pleased to announce an increase to the BSA Reward to RM50,000* for a limited time period until the end of April, for any information leading to a successful enforcement actions against any company using pirated software in their business. I encourage anyone with such information to make that call today. All calls to the BSA anti-piracy hotline at 1-800-887-800 or reports to the BSA website at www.bsa.org/malaysia will be treated with the strictest of confidence,” concluded Sawney.

About BSA | The Software Alliance

BSA | The Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members are among the world’s most innovative companies, creating software solutions that spark the economy and improve modern life. With headquarters in Washington, DC, and operations in more than 60 countries around the world, BSA pioneers compliance programs that promote legal software use and advocates for public policies that foster technology innovation and drive growth in the digital economy.

About the BSA Anti-piracy Hotline

In complementing the enforcement efforts of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism against software piracy, the BSA operates a toll-free anti-piracy hotline number 1-800-887-800 for reports on the use of pirated or unlicensed software in organizations. Reports can also be made online at www.bsa.org/malaysia. The BSA provides a reward of up to RM50,000* for any information that results in a successful enforcement action.

Media Contact

Ching Yee Sing(m): 012 340 1816(e): chingyeesing@wysecomm.com