Annual harassment letter from "Pilipinas Anti Piracy"

[ghosthunter]

This is the letter that the "Pilipinas Anti Piracy Team" has sent our company this year. It has sent similar letters every year in the past few years.







I find it somewhere between irritating and somewhat harassing that it "mildly" threatens to give your company a potential search & seizure of your computers along with all your data simply because someone would (potentially falsely) report you use illegally acquired software.

BTW, all our office PCs use licensed/original MS Windows and to save money on other software, we use the free to download OpenOffice and other similar free softwares like AVG as well.

Another angle I find the letter irritating is it is being used by software companies (like Microsoft Philippines) to coerce companies to buy their expensive software.

[wowiesy]

This is the letter that the "Pilipinas Anti Piracy Team" has sent our company this year. It has sent similar letters every year in the past few years.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/u...tiPiracy01.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/u...tiPiracy02.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/u...tiPiracy03.jpg

I find it somewhere between irritating and somewhat harassing that it "mildly" threatens to give your company a potential search & seizure of your computers along with all your data simply because someone would (potentially falsely) report you use illegally acquired software.

BTW, all our office PCs use licensed/original MS Windows and to save money on other software, we use the free to download OpenOffice and other similar free softwares like AVG as well.

Another angle I find the letter irritating is it is being used by software companies (like Microsoft Philippines) to coerce companies to buy their expensive software.

another reason why this thing sucks, is how the **ell* did they get their contact database in the first place?

search and seizure should always be with a valid search warrant...

however, on the other side.. quite a good "marketing" tool by the software companies that *i think* heavily supports this activity: Autodesk and Microsoft...

[ghosthunter]

another reason why this thing sucks, is how the **ell* did they get their contact database in the first place?

simple... government records of business establishments.

however, on the other side.. quite a good "marketing" tool by the software companies that *i think* heavily supports this activity: Autodesk and Microsoft...

It is heavily supported by the bigger foreign software companies that donates "free" software (like windows) to various government agencies. The Pilipina Anti Piracy Team is the teeth of the formerly toothless BSA.

Do you know, years ago, I found out the NBI requires a bond (from the brand/license holder) of around P200,000 to do a raid operation? So that means small potatoes are almost not targeted. They would target ones with many units so the operation can pay for itself, if not, a high profile target so it gets into the newspaper and tv news reports so more people will get alarmed and buy more "legal" software.

[wowiesy]

simple... government records of business establishments.




It is heavily supported by the bigger foreign software companies that donates "free" software (like windows) to various government agencies. The Pilipina Anti Piracy Team is the teeth of the formerly toothless BSA.

Do you know, years ago, I found out the NBI requires a bond (from the brand/license holder) of around P200,000 to do a raid operation? So that means small potatoes are almost not targeted. They would target ones with many units so the operation can pay for itself, if not, a high profile target so it gets into the newspaper and tv news reports so more people will get alarmed and buy more "legal" software.

ganon ba.. i always thought that there wasn't a formal process to do a raid operation like that... tama rin naman... resources have to be used.. dapat lang financially rewarding... ang isip ko dati was that raids by nbi and the papt team were bankrolled by under the table deals with law firms or PR firms working for these software giants (MS or Autodesk)...

kasi naman kahit na magpa sheriff ka lang (say, for foreclosure proceedings)... minsan kailangan ikaw pa sumundo sa sheriff at maghatid sa lugar na ifo foreclose para lang gawin nila trabaho nila eh.... (on the other hand, if you are the one being foreclosed.... you have an idea of another person to work on to stave off foreclosure hehe.. )...

[Jun aka Pekto]

I don't condone the software companies coercing customers to buy their products. That's just wrong especially when there are legal and cheaper alternatives.

But if I was there and I saw people using illegal copies of products from those software companies, I'd be the first to rat them out.

[ghosthunter]

I don't condone the software companies coercing customers to buy their products. That's just wrong especially when there are legal and cheaper alternatives.

But if I was there and I saw people using illegal copies of products from those software companies, I'd be the first to rat them out.

Unfortunately or fortunately... the expense of doing a software "raid" will limit raids to bigger targets. Personal users are pretty much exempt.

[ghosthunter]

ganon ba.. i always thought that there wasn't a formal process to do a raid operation like that... tama rin naman... resources have to be used.. dapat lang financially rewarding... ang isip ko dati was that raids by nbi and the papt team were bankrolled by under the table deals with law firms or PR firms working for these software giants (MS or Autodesk)...

kasi naman kahit na magpa sheriff ka lang (say, for foreclosure proceedings)... minsan kailangan ikaw pa sumundo sa sheriff at maghatid sa lugar na ifo foreclose para lang gawin nila trabaho nila eh.... (on the other hand, if you are the one being foreclosed.... you have an idea of another person to work on to stave off foreclosure hehe.. )...

But imagine if you are the brand owner, properly registered with the DTI, etc.

Your product is enjoying moderate success in the local markets.

Then you find there are people making/distributing/selling counterfeits/fakes of your product which are inferior in quality.

Typically, to protect your brand/product, you have the NBI to conduct confiscation raids on the fake products.

But you have to spend at least P200,000 for every raid done.

If you have to do five raids, that will already cost you over P1M.

It might be "cheaper" just to live with fakes in the market even if that fact will damage the product's reputation of quality.

[vito corleone]

this is a very bad case of harassment. . .while the papt doesn't have the resources to conduct raids right and left, they have the financial backing of the software companies, at least, for this type of actions. . .gov't people really suck dito sa pilipinas

[Gen. Miting]

But imagine if you are the brand owner, properly registered with the DTI, etc.

Your product is enjoying moderate success in the local markets.

Then you find there are people making/distributing/selling counterfeits/fakes of your product which are inferior in quality.

Typically, to protect your brand/product, you have the NBI to conduct confiscation raids on the fake products.

But you have to spend at least P200,000 for every raid done.

If you have to do five raids, that will already cost you over P1M.

It might be "cheaper" just to live with fakes in the market even if that fact will damage the product's reputation of quality.

i wish they raid those fake raybans and oakley tiangges in greenhills. dumadami na sila eh. ang tinde pa naman ng investment ko sa mga shades ko na'to may pang tig-isang kotse ako, may pang intl. travel at may pang beach as well as may pang indoor use.

kakainis nangyari eh kahit na mukhang peke naman talaga, magkanu na isang pinakmababang rayban ngaun roughly 8K each tapos oakley 11k.

nasisira ang image ko. sa US lang last month, dalawa inuwi ko shades, 1 rayban and 1 oakley pero tig $49.00 lang. nabili ko ng mura sa nordstrom rack saka tjmaxx, pero as is where is.

[Gen. Miting]

I find it somewhere between irritating and somewhat harassing that it "mildly" threatens to give your company a potential search & seizure of your computers along with all your data simply because someone would (potentially falsely) report you use illegally acquired software.

BTW, all our office PCs use licensed/original MS Windows and to save money on other software, we use the free to download OpenOffice and other similar free softwares like AVG as well.

Another angle I find the letter irritating is it is being used by software companies (like Microsoft Philippines) to coerce companies to buy their expensive software.

that's why i am betting on google in the future. not apple nor microsoft. par a lahat internet-based software na.

[wowiesy]

But imagine if you are the brand owner, properly registered with the DTI, etc.

Your product is enjoying moderate success in the local markets.

Then you find there are people making/distributing/selling counterfeits/fakes of your product which are inferior in quality.

Typically, to protect your brand/product, you have the NBI to conduct confiscation raids on the fake products.

But you have to spend at least P200,000 for every raid done.

If you have to do five raids, that will already cost you over P1M.

It might be "cheaper" just to live with fakes in the market even if that fact will damage the product's reputation of quality.

exactly why the local IT industry will only be relegated to BPO and not have their own systems and make it big in the market...

i think the government hasn't yet seen / realized the potential revenue (direct revenue - be it in taxes, but more on the non taxes e.g. direct to their pocket) effects of the software industry... pero kung makakita sila ng pera ... sigurado.. may programa agad yan hehe

[JackFlash]

If the PAPT is serious, why don't they just visit all the computer gaming sales shops in the malls? Daming pirated software dun, ranging from Adobe to Microsoft to Anti-virus software, not to mention all the famous PC games. You don't need a warrant coz everything is in the open, you dont need to send letters because you can freely enter the premises. Cut the supply and you cut out the users. Pero...

mahina siguro kinikita ng raiding teams dun no?

[ghosthunter]

If the PAPT is serious, why don't they just visit all the computer gaming sales shops in the malls? Daming pirated software dun, ranging from Adobe to Microsoft to Anti-virus software, not to mention all the famous PC games. You don't need a warrant coz everything is in the open, you dont need to send letters because you can freely enter the premises. Cut the supply and you cut out the users. Pero...

mahina siguro kinikita ng raiding teams dun no?

Simple answer. PAPT doesn't want to pay for it's own raid operations.

If the raided computer game shops find it more expensive to pay the fine to get their computers released from the NBI warehouse, they would probably just close shop and open with new equiptment elsewhere.

[ess]

OT: I was wondering... are the raiding teams educated enough to distinguish between Windows and Linux running KDE or Gnome? MS Office vs Open Office or KOffice?
I've seen KDE skins that almost look indistinguishable from XP's luna or W7's Aero theme.

Baka pag ni-raid ka:

You: Hindi yan MS Office! OpenOffice yan!
PAPT Agent: Office yan eh. Tignan mo pareho yung toolbar oh.

[ghosthunter]

OT: I was wondering... are the raiding teams educated enough to distinguish between Windows and Linux running KDE or Gnome? MS Office vs Open Office or KOffice?
I've seen KDE skins that almost look indistinguishable from XP's luna or W7's Aero theme.

Baka pag ni-raid ka:

You: Hindi yan MS Office! OpenOffice yan!
PAPT Agent: Office yan eh. Tignan mo pareho yung toolbar oh.

Yes, there will be an "expert" with them, usually from the complainant company.

And if the raiding team is already knocking at your door, it's too late to argue.

Best to make it look like LINUX if seen from the door so passing people (potential "witness") will mistake it for LINUX and not see (unlicensed) Windows. This avoids getting the raided from getting started.

[JackFlash]

On raiding retail outlets (OT)...

At the height of the VRB raids headed by Edu Manzano... I was once in Makati Cinema Sq. buying dibidi's when I asked my suki about the raids and how they were coping. He said that they had look-outs posted at the mall entrances. The power of texting helped them conceal their goods.

How were the goods concealed? A fake shelf would swing into place, covering the dibidi's.

What kind of merchandise was displayed on the fake shelves? Fake Gucci, Nike, Adidas, Guess t-shirts and blouses, of course.

[digitalron]

I get the same letters almost every year. The even funnier bit is that it is directed to my name... maybe because I head the IT department in our company, hehe. I'm sure they got their database info from the vendors we deal with.

An also funny bit is that we have been purchasing hundreds of licenses of the various software products, yet despite that fact, we still receive these "warning" letters. For us, it's not really scary as we are very much above board. This is important to us because we are a publicly-listed company in the London Stock Exchange and our compliance requirements are very stringent. It is a bit of a nuisance though as we need to pull out records, assign some of our staff to liaise with the "audit" teams, and essentially spend time we could have used for more productive tasks.

But, year in and year out, we get this and similar letters. In fact, it used to be the BSA (Business Software Alliance) that sends those letters. Apparently, the OMB has taken over.

Just be prepared. Our practice has been to set aside copies of our invoices and paper licenses (since we purchase heavily using Open Licensing), and we have also made it a practice to only purchase PCs with Windows OEM so that we avoid the hassle of too much software licenses to track.

BTW, the way these raids are carried out has this for their modus operandi: a lot of it is fishing expeditions. The bigger companies are raided because they have the money to purchase licenses. So when a company is "raided" the records are tallied to see if the correct number of licenses are purchased for the physically accounted PCs; if not, an agreement is made to purchase the missing license. Adobe and Autodesk seem to be the most aggressive in this aspect simply because their licenses are really expensive, running to the hundreds of thousands of pesos per license.

So just be prepared with your records and all should be alright.

[sgt_taga]

no need to worry about such letters if you are properly covered - complete and matching inventory of licenses vs. actuals rolled out, clear records, audit trails, etc. let them visit if they want. wala naman silang mapapala at magsasayang lang sila ng oras. its all part of the perils of doing business here (and maybe elsewhere).

if you're not properly covered, then remediate as soon as possible and best not to risk the consequences. baka i-call pa nila yung "bluff" nila.

[Lucius]

We received the same letter few months back. I called someone. That someone called someone. Someone from OMB apologized. Coordinated pa daw yan with NBI blah blah..who cares?

Nothing will change here in our country. Takutan lang yan. We're doing good business for decades then suddenly these posers would harass us? **** off.

Ang sabi nung tao, minsan inggit lang daw. May nag-tip na keso fake daw ang OS blah blah. So yun, right now we're waiting nalang para malaman kung sino ang 3 tao na "nagsumbong"

[ghosthunter]

I just saw this in the newspaper today ... Is it that time of the year again?!?