The raid which was led by Barrister Toyin Subair, counsel to the Business Software Alliance in Nigeria.
FIMB, alongside some identified banks, had actually been using pirated copies of Microsoft software in contravention of Section 14 and 17 of the Nigerian Copyright Act.
According to Mr. Subair, the management of FIMB had been informed via writing since December 2001 to regularise the use of the said software but had up till the time of the raid failed to comply. The raid, which was backed by a court order, was eventful as copyright officers, court bailiff and the BSA counsel found their way to the computer room, secured it and were about to dismantle the systems before the management entered into discussions which finally culminated into the payment for the license and damage cost.
The raid, a major boost against the use of pirated software in Nigeria, came on the heel of an Anton Pillar order granted by the Federal High Court enabling the plaintiff to procure the infringing items, contrivance and materials employed by the bank in breach of the plaintiff’s copyright.
This is the second time such a raid will be effected by the NCC in conjunction with BSA in Nigeria. The first major establishment to witness such an action was James Cubbit, a leading architectural firm in December 2001.
Speaking on the raid, Subair said the raid is not supposed to be punitive but to make end users of software be responsible enough to regularise the use of the products. He hinted that further raids are in the pipeline to be carried out on other banks and institutions infringing the intellectual property rights of BSA member companies in days to come.
For more information on the BSA please call the hotline: 0800 110 447, e-mail info@bsa.co.za or visit its main site at www.bsa.co.za
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Contact Information
Lisa Fourie / Lara Felton, Text 100
Tel: (011) 803 2800
Email: lisaf@text100.co.za
