In the span of just one month, an association that represents the largest group of software industries in the world has already promoted, between July and the beginning of August this year, more than 20 lawsuits concentrated in the capital of Paraná. In view of the total of 400 lawsuits filed throughout Brazil since January 2013, the numbers in Curitiba signal a historic mark and warn of the consequences of the use of unlicensed software by local companies, which may be forced to pay damages of up to 3 thousand times the value of each software installed per computer
In a country where software piracy is responsible for an embezzlement of US$ 2.8 billion in the national market, the damage from such a practice goes far beyond the figures. In a kind of ripple effect, software piracy directly affects IT companies, reduces the supply of work in this field and, furthermore, harms public coffers, which fail to collect taxes and, consequently, invest in services for the entire population.
In a context in which several companies in Brazil use some type of pirated software, what many are unaware of is that the consequences of this practice can weigh - and a lot - in the pocket of their owners. Indemnities for the use of unlicensed software can reach 3 thousand times the value of the product. Following this scenario closely and in order to curb this practice, the BSA | The Software Alliance in partnership with ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies has been, since the beginning of the year, intensifying legal actions in strategic capitals of the country. This is the case of Curitiba, which between July and the beginning of August alone has concentrated more than 20 lawsuits in different companies, a surprising number if compared to the total 400 actions carried out throughout the national territory since the beginning of the year.
According to the director of BSA in Brazil, Frank Caramuru, by concentrating a large volume of lawsuits in specific regions and capitals with great economic potential, as is the case in Curitiba, BSA aims to develop a work focused on achieving effective results in strategic areas. "A greater number of operations in the same square for a short period of time is a way to draw the attention of businessmen to the consequences of piracy, alerting them to the risks that it represents for their business", he explains.
The director of BSA emphasizes that, when using pirated software on his computers, the entrepreneur takes a risk that goes beyond simply paying the price of legalization: “The use of software without the proper license exposes the company to a series of risks such as data loss, identity theft, in addition to the fine and criminal sanctions that can affect employees and administrators ”, he warns.
Among the tools that have contributed to intensify enforcement and reduce software piracy in Brazil is the Software Piracy Reporting Portal (www.denunciepirataria.org.br), developed by BSA together with Abes. Through the website, the population can report situations of irregularity in the use, sale or distribution of software. Based on the complaints, which are anonymous, the two associations initiate the investigations and, if there is evidence of irregularity, take the necessary measures to ensure that the cases are resolved quickly.
In addition to the policies and educational action programs developed by BSA, Caramuru draws attention to the importance of participation and engagement by society through complaints: “From these we can communicate with software manufacturers, local authorities and bring legal actions to ensure that the Brazilian software law is respected ", guarantees the director of BSA, who adds:" Software piracy works against the economic growth and prosperity of Brazil, contributes to organized crime and prevents the growth of markets, the generation of jobs and the proper collection of taxes. Any company that disrespects factors like these practices unfair competition and brings significant losses to the entire country ”, he concludes.
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