Why not Linux? (WinXP + MS Office Pro cost P28,700)

**ghosthunter** · September 21st, 2005 08:00 AM

[SIZE=4] Law enforcement agencies deny raids on local Internet shops [/SIZE]

First posted 01:50am (Mla time) Sept 21, 2005
By Erwin Lemuel Oliva
INQ7.net

LAW ENFORCEMENT agencies are denying that they have started conducting raids on Internet cafes and computer shops after a September 15 deadline set as part of an anti-piracy campaign expired.
There have been unconfirmed reports of raids being conducted by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Optical Media Board (OMB), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in some provinces and cities outside Metro Manila.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) entered into a partnership last month with the NBI, OMB, and PNP to help in the enforcement campaign aimed at violators of the intellectual property rights of BSA's members, which include large software firms like Microsoft.

The group had given local businesses a 30-day grace period to stop using unlicensed software, starting August 15.

The OMB said in a telephone interview that it has not conducted any raids of Internet shops, stressing that anyone claiming do so in the agency's name is "unauthorized." l

"Those reports are not true," OMB lawyer Marivic Benedicto told INQ7.net. She said that the OMB does not raid Internet shops since this does not fall under its mandate.

"We only raid retail shops using optical discs like DVDs to violate intellectual property rights of private stakeholders," she said.

Benedicto said the OMB has received reports of alleged raids of Internet shops in Marikina City and Olongapo City. "But we don't know who are conducting these raids," she said.

Meanwhile the NBI said that most of the reported raids in the provinces are hearsay.

"We have received such information from Bohol and General Santos City but the local authorities said there are no raids. If there are raids, [Internet shop owners] should ask for the identity of the raiding team, ask for a search warrant, and coordinate with local authorities," lawyer Jojo Yap, head of the NBI intellectual property division, told INQ7.net.

The NBI lawyer said the agency has not conducted any raids yet since the deadline expired only recently. Raids would likely start next week, he added.

Yap said Internet shop owners should report any group conducting "raids" without proper authorization to the police. "We're willing to investigate this if they report it to us," he said.

The PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group also said it was not aware of any anti-piracy raids.

Officials from the BSA were unavailable for comment. tongue.gif

In separate interviews, local Internet shop owners in Rizal have expressed concern about rumors of ongoing raids in their area.

Jennifer Llanes, owner of Internet shop Globalforce in Binangonan,
Rizal, said she had heard that raids had started in Antipolo, Cardona and
Binangonan. However, she could not confirm whether or not these raids had indeed taken place.

"A lot of Internet shops here have taken down their billboards and have closed because they're afraid of being raided," Llanes added.

She said that Internet shops do want to comply with intellectual property laws but they are confused about the government requirements for compliance.

"Why have they not informed us of these raids? Do we need to get a new license of Microsoft Windows 98? We don't know what they require from us to comply. We heard that the BSA, with the OMB and NBI, has been conducting raids this week. They said that they are requiring shops to only buy from PC Express [a local PC distribution shop] and Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2," the Internet shop owner said.

"I remember when the local publisher of the PC game Counterstrike started its anti-piracy campaign, they gave us time to comply," she said.

Romel Dizon, officer of the Federation of Computer Shops Association of the Philippines and the Internet Café Association of Rizal, meanwhile said that the alleged raids in Rizal province remained hearsay.

"There are no confirmed raids, as of now. Most of them are hearsay. But we have asked our governor to help us extend the deadline for compliance. The PNP regional director has also indicated that there are no directives for them to conduct raids," Dizon said.

Dizon said authorities were open to negotiations, especially on the possibility of relaxing requirements for compliance.huh.gif
He said that online forums and some local newspaper reports have also contributed to the confusion and rumors about raids being conducted in the provinces.

"Local Internet shops face a lot of problems today, especially with different raids being conducted by different groups including online game publisher Level-Up! and software company Microsoft. We have spoken with Microsoft and they said that they are not conducting any raids. Also, Microsoft indicated that it was willing to help local Internet shop owners to get licensed software. But because of these unconfirmed reports of ongoing raids, local Internet shops are now afraid," Dizon said.

**pissword** · September 21st, 2005 10:30 AM

ahaha sir flakez sige ba kaya lang LIVE CD lang yun dinownload ko hehehe

**ghosthunter** · September 21st, 2005 11:06 AM

interesting... knoppix... I might try it also...

**chieffy** · September 21st, 2005 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by pissword

sir chieffy masmabagal ba connection niyo sakin/? i have a wireless dsl.. 6 hours yung 700mb..

dami kasi gumagamit ng internet...

linux trade eb na iyan!!!!

ghost mukhang may kababalaghang nangyayari sa mga raids ah...

sa Pangasinan matagal na ring ni raid ng Level-Up ang mga shops doon lalo na yung nag operate ng mga private servers...

**mantoy** · September 30th, 2005 11:03 AM

o, may mga linux converts na ba dito?

musta na mga nag-install ng xandros? ok ba?

**Aquaman123** · September 30th, 2005 11:25 AM

Yes! I'm now satisfied with my OS: Ubuntu Linux

**chieffy** · September 30th, 2005 06:35 PM

question: nag boot ako sa cd, xandros install ko then it will ask you to remove the cd...it will reboot after pressing enter...problema walang nangyayari after...

do i need to format the hd then boot/install ko ulit yung cd ng xandros?

**ghosthunter** · September 30th, 2005 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by chieffy

question: nag boot ako sa cd, xandros install ko then it will ask you to remove the cd...it will reboot after pressing enter...problema walang nangyayari after...

do i need to format the hd then boot/install ko ulit yung cd ng xandros?

same problem i got. try this. When you boot using the xandros boot/install CD, choose CUSTOM install. Then as you choose your system's parameters, check the install BOOT system option.