Government targets big cities in crackdown on illegal software

The government task force on software piracy is campaigning to end the use and trade in illegal software, targeting shopping centers in several big cities across the country.

The team put up posters inside the Mangga Dua International Trade Center mall in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, urging people not to buy or produce illegal software.

Task force head Ansori Sinungan, who is also the Justice and Human Rights Ministry’s director for copyrights, said the campaign would target large shopping centers in Jakarta , Bandung in West Java, Surabaya in East Java, Medan in North Sumatra, and Yogyakarta.

“The campaign is aimed at cutting down the use of pirated software and thus curbing its production,” he said at a press conference.

The first phase of the campaign ran from February to June, during which the task force visited some 2,000 companies to urge them to use legal software.

The International Data Corporation estimates the rate of software piracy in Indonesia has increased by 1 percent in 2008 to 85 percent from the previous year, causing US$544 million in losses to copyright holders. (adh)