The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the voice of the world’s software and Internet industry, praised a judgment of the Maltese Magistrates Court of 10 June which convicted a reseller of computer hardware products who was distributing pirated software in violation of the intellectual property rights of Microsoft Corporation, in particular its rights of copyright.

The said pirated software was being unlawfully loaded onto computer systems which the reseller was building and distributing. The said reseller was convicted by the Court to the payment of a fine. The BSA described this judgment as a very important step in the fight against software copyright theft in Malta.

“The judgement is proof that Malta is making great efforts to combat the escalating problem of piracy on the island,” said George Herrnleben who urges the Maltese Government to take bold measures to combat piracy in Malta through tougher legislation. BSA has pledged to continue working to educate consumers and organizations that piracy is theft and an infringement of intellectual property rights.

Although the piracy rate in Malta has been decreasing slowly since 1995, when it recorded a 77 % high, BSA sees no cause for complacency. The Maltese rate of 45 % means that over 7 Million US Dollars are robbed from the country revenues and the rate is way too high compared to the EU average of 35 %.

The distribution of unlicensed or pirated computer software creates a serious problem for the software developers. BSA will continue to work with legal authorities to ensure that companies in Malta fulfil a legal obligation to ensure that all of the computers sold by their establishment are accompanied by licensed and genuine computer software products.