Microsoft and Capdan Partner against Software Piracy

Microsoft Nigeria and Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (Capdan) have announced sealing a partnership deal that will help to combat piracy in the IT sector. 
The development follows the participation of Nigeria in the Microsoft Global Anti-Piracy Day (GAPD) held last October.  The GAPD was a simultaneous launch of education initiatives and enforcement actions in 49 countries on six continents to combat the sophisticated, illegal trade of pirated and counterfeit software.
The partnership between Capdan and Microsoft will create a platform for intellectual property awareness campaigns, engagements with partner businesses, educational forums, local law enforcement training, and new legal actions against software counterfeiters and pirates.
Mr. Serge Ntamack, licensing compliance manager at Microsoft, disclosed that Microsoft is taking these steps as part of its commitment towards working with communities, national governments and local law enforcement agencies around the world in its bid to  protect customers and partners from the adverse effects of piracy and to  also promote the value of intellectual property as a driver of innovation.
Mr. Ntamack who described software piracy and counterfeiting as a sophisticated, global trade with a damaging impact on consumers, businesses and economies, expressed the commitment of Microsoft to working with people around the world to curb the activities of this illegal industry. Accordingly, he said Microsoft will work with Capdan and the law enforcement agents to drive anti-piracy efforts across the country through a sophisticated system of business intelligence, forensics and education.  “Together, we are working to identify international connection points between software pirates and counterfeiters, help stop them in their tracks, and protect consumers and legitimate businesses from this illegal trade,” said Mr. Ntamack. 
Capdan on its part has said the issue of piracy and intellectual property theft is of great concern because of the adverse effects these illegal activities have on the businesses of honest dealers, especially those operating in the Computer Village popularly referred to as Otigba.
Computer Village is a hot spot with local honest dealers working hard to grow their businesses which are constantly hampered by street vendors offering low quality and pirated software. The attendant insecurity and culture of non compliance among these law breakers have combined to give the Computer Village a bad reputation which the new partnership will work to reverse
“The local IT sector has come a long way from being a destination for secondary refurbished PCs to one producing high quality computers for the local and international use. However, as the technology scope has expanded so has the menace of software piracy. In the next few years, it is imperative that we devise a holistic strategy to eliminate counterfeit trade, if we are to receive more international investment”, said Chief Balogun, CEO of Brian Integrated Systems, and chairman, Capdan.
The Capdan/Microsoft partnership will take a long-term approach towards combating piracy.  Actions will include the provision of an IT Access Point within the computer village, training for the street vendors, consistent media engagement to help disseminate information, education on compliance and the risks associated with piracy.  There will also be information on the value of selling genuine
The partnership, according to a press release from Microsoft, will also engage with government agencies and other stakeholders including Nollywood to provide vocational training, entrepreneurial skills training and enforcement to encourage compliance.
As a first step towards achieving the desired results, Microsoft and Capdan held an intellectual property rights seminar and also launched the Clean Dealer campaign which will provide a platform for showcasing certified dealers in original software. As a follow up to this event, the EFCC will be organizing a workshop with Microsoft to educate the public and businesses about the impact of piracy in Nigeria and the framework to protect Intellectual Property Rights.