Piracy of ICT and Software Properties

Piracy of ICT and Software Properties 

Piracy is a global problem, although more prevalent in developing countries like Nigeria, Nigeria's status as a favourable destination for foreign direct investment and a place where local creative talent can flourish is in jeopardy, due to the activities of individuals who unjustifiably infringe on the copyrighted works of others. 

Technically, piracy occurs when the original work of an author is violated by the illegal reproduction of the creator's work usually on a commercial scale. In other words, Piracy is simply the unauthorized and illegal production or distribution of materials protected by copyright, patent, and trademark law. In Nigeria, the law that governs piracy is the Nigerian Copyright Act (Chapter C28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004). The act provides protection for creators and owners of literary, musical, and artistic works, as well as sound recordings, films, and broadcasts. 

Copyright is infringed by any person who without the license or authorization of the owner of the copyright. does any of the acts listed under sections 15a) to (g) of the Copyrights Act. Under the act, it is illegal to reproduce, distribute, or make available to the public copyrighted works without the permission of the copyright owner. This includes activities such as making copies of software, music, or movies, and sharing them over the Internet.

Hence, Piracy is a very challenging situation, most especially to the creative owners who went through rigorous efforts to create original works.

Narrowing down the effect of piracy to ICT/software properties, its protection falls under the literary works under the copyright act. As a law student, my perception as to piracy considering the effect is that it is a serious problem in Nigeria and the world at large and it has a wide range of negative consequences for both individuals and society as a whole. 

One of the main reasons why piracy is so detrimental is because it undermines the concept of intellectual property rights. Intellectual property rights are essential to the growth of any economy, as they encourage innovation and creativity. Hence, if piracy of software programmes or other ICT properties become more rampant, this can discourage people from pursuing creative endeavors.

Piracy also has a significant impact on the software industry in any country. When software is pirated, it means that the creators and developers of that software are not being compensated for their work. This can lead to a reduction in the number of jobs in the software industry and can also make it more difficult for software companies to invest in research and development. 

Additionally, when software is pirated, it is often distributed in a way that is not secure and can contain malware or other malicious code that can harm the user's computer.

Pirated software properties can also lead to a lack of support and updates for users. When software is purchased legally, the user is entitled to receive updates and technical support from the software developer. However, when software is pirated, the user is not able to receive these services, which can make it more difficult to use the software and can also make the user's computer more vulnerable to security risks.

Furthermore, pirated software also affects the software development companies in a country, as it results in a decrease in their revenue, leading to a reduction in their ability to invest in research and development, which in turn, hurts the development of the industry. In the same vein, Piracy can also have a negative impact on the reputation of Nigeria, as it makes it seem like the country is not capable of enforcing its laws and protecting the rights of its citizens. This can make it more difficult for Nigeria to attract foreign investment and can also lead to a loss of business for Nigerian companies who are trying to export their products to other countries.

In order to combat software piracy, software companies can implement different strategies such as, implementing digital rights management technologies, regularly updating their software to make it harder to pirate, and educating consumers about the importance of purchasing software legally. Additionally, the Nigerian government can also play a role by implementing stricter laws and penalties for software piracy and increasing the resources available to law enforcement agencies to help them fight it.

In summary, piracy of software programs in a country can have a negative impact on the software industry, on the users and on the development of the industry. It causes a loss of revenue for software companies, lack of support and updates for users and can also lead to security risks. To combat it, software companies and the government must work together by implementing various strategies and stricter laws to protect the rights of the creators and the users.