BUSINESS SOFTWARE ALLIANCE: ONLY 20% OF COMPUTER SHOPS IN ARMENIA OFFER LICENSED SOFTWARE

Arminfo
2009-09-10 15:54:00

ArmInfo. Business Software Alliance Office in Armenia has surveyed the
local computer market and revealed that only 20% of computer shops in
Armenia offer licensed software, BSA Legal Adviser Narine Lazarian
said at press conference on Thursday. The survey involved 20 shops
(selected in a random way) offering computers. The surveyors visited
each shop by 5 times under pretense of customers. Only 4 of the 20
shops offered licensed software and refused to install unlicensed
one. A number of shops failed to offer licensed programs. N. Lazarian
said that customers were just offered not to install licensed
software. "We are not going to cast doubt on the authority of companies
and privates. We are trying to raise public awareness of the necessity
of acquiring licensed software as well as to support the shops offering
legal products," she said.

She mentioned that International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA)
estimated piracy in Armenia at 92% basing on the ratio of the sold
computers and licensed programs in the country. The survey results
will be submitted to the state authorities, including to the Agency
for Protection of Intellectual Property in Armenia at the Economy
Ministry. "Our further cooperation with the state department will
further be based on the precedents of copyright violations, including
use of Armenian fonts without consent of the authors as well as illegal
copying of intellectual property of show business representatives,"
N. Lazarian said.

The Business Software Alliance is the voice of the world’s commercial
software industry and its hardware partners before governments and
in the international marketplace. BSA programs foster technology
innovation through education and policy initiatives that promote
copyright protection, cyber security, trade, and e-commerce. Business
Software Alliance (BSA) is a nonprofit trade association created
to advance the goals of the software industry and its hardware
partners. It is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting
a safe and legal digital world. Headquartered in Washington, DC,
BSA is active in more than 80 countries.