Let's fight intellectual property theft - Hlatswayo

Addressing journalists and police officers at a workshop on intellectual property in Gaborone yesterday, he said intellectual property theft is dangerous because it affects lives both economically and socially.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), he said, 10 percent of all pharmaceutical products are counterfeit 'and this is a danger to people's lives'.

He stated that of the $12 billion worth of counterfeit parts worldwide, $3 billion comes from the United States of America (US).

Hlatswayo said that intellectual property theft in a single industry affects all industries, adding that it requires everyone to solve - not just police, musicians, writers and right holders.

He advised that people should desist from engaging in fraudulent activities like letting other people to use their academic certificates to find jobs.

'Your degree is yours, you can't share it with your kids, sister or anyone else,' he said.
He explained that there are international property rights (IPR) a set of exclusive rules granted by national and international authorities 'to creators of new ideas'. Some of these ideas include patents, geographical indications and industrial designs.

Intellectual property rights, Hlatswayo explained, are protected by both national and international laws. Copyright, he added, is part of IPR and it deals with artistic creations for authors.

The Microsoft officer warned that software is recognised as a copyright work.
'The Copyright Designs and Patents Act of 1998 defines how owners of a software can protect their rights for that software,' he explained.

He faulted people who download and pass games to their friends and family members, saying that this deprives the developer who invested time and talent to create the game.
'He would have spent sleepless nights trying to see how to create an interesting fun game and by passing it for free you are robbing him the financial gain that is due him,' he said.

He disclosed that the Information and Communication Technology (IT) sector is driven by the software industry. Software, Hlatswayo said, has proven to be a remarkable engine for global economic growth.

'The software industry raises more that $700 billion in taxes annually, ' he said.
He said that it was sad to note that last year, over 85 percent of software used in Africa is pirated. He further revealed that seven countries in the Africa have the highest PC software piracy rates.

'Zimbabwe occupied the fifth spot, Cameroon 15th, Botswana 21st whilst Nigeria stands at 22nd position,' he said.

Hlatswayo said that by the end of last year, there were more than a billion PC installed around the world and that 'nearly half of them have pirated software licences on them'. According to him, software is not sold but licensed.