Channel wary over G8 pledge to tackle piracy
Resellers welcome move to combat counterfeiting, but some question if enough is being done
A commitment from the G8 group of nations to tackle piracy and counterfeiting at an international level has generated a mixed response from the channel.
The G8, which represents Russia, the US, the UK, France, Japan, Germany, Canada and Italy, last week held its annual summit in St Petersburg. At the event it announced four initiatives designed to combat the problem of software piracy in all its forms.
The four measures are: the creation of a web site for each G8 member state to provide vendors with ways to protect their intellectual property rights; an involvement with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to highlight the effects of piracy and counterfeiting; increased boarder enforcement; and a study into the possibility of strengthening the international legal framework around the problem.
John Lovelock, director general at the Federation Against Software Theft, said: “To have the G8 group of nations giving priority to this is a positive step. Having said that, we need to start seeing action sooner rather than later if we hope to combat this spiralling issue.”
Tony Kingston, sales and marketing manager at VAR Deverill, told CRN that strengthening the international legal framework around piracy and counterfeiting is a positive step forward for the industry.
“People aren’t yet aware of the penalties of piracy and counterfeiting,” he said. “Anything that reinforces the anti-piracy message can only be good for the channel, and resellers will benefit.”
However, Abdul Terry, marketing director at Equanet, was uncertain as to whether the G8’s measures will prove sufficient in solving the problems of software piracy and counterfeiting.
“The G8 coming together in an attempt to tackle piracy and counterfeiting really signifies the size of the problem,” he said. “This will be an opportunity for the channel if it brings software piracy rates down.”
According to a recent study by government body The Patent Office, intellectual property crime is on the increase, and the number of seizures at European Union external borders has increased since last year.
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