FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

ECD to emphasise software piracy by business in 2018

ECD to emphasise software piracy by business in 2018

Police raided 227 companies from January to November 2017, finding unlicensed software worth over Bt430 million installed and used on more than 3,000 PCs. Crackdowns on companies using unlicensed software are planned to continue in 2018, together with public education campaigns to communicate the risks of unlicensed software.

The Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) of Royal Thai Police, said from January to November, 227 companies were caught with unlicensed software installed and used on more than 3,000 PCs. The companies raided include those of all sizes in the design, construction, interior design, manufacturing and advertising industries. The value of unlicensed software found in these raids remains high at over Bt430 million.
The raids took place in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, SamutPrakan, Nonthaburi and Rayong.
Winai Wongbuppa, ECD Deputy Commander, said that police have been trying to educate companies on the risks of using unlicensed software. The force has raised the issue through the media and works with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) and the Association of Thai Software Industry (ATSI) to promote use of legal and licensed software at the workplace, said Winai.
“We expect to see the rate of unlicensed software use in Thailand fall from 69 per cent.
“While we are using technologies and innovations to drive the economy, software created by both local and foreign developers has become an important tool. Many local software developers create various applications to satisfy the needs of businesses and individual consumers.”

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