Vietnam firms urged to use licensed software

August 19, 2014 | 17:00

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International organisations and the Vietnamese government have urged firms to comply with copyright laws to avoid risks of having data stolen and having their reputation destroyed if legal actions are taken against them.

Licensed software is highly beneficial to businesses, Dao Anh Tuan, representative of BSA | The Software Alliance in Vietnam, said. It relieves them of the risk of data theft, which is particularly important given the increasing development of hi-tech crimes and malware. Moreover, firms won’t have to worry about having their reputation destroyed and paying compensation.

As the cost of computer software only takes up 5-6 per cent of individual companies’ expenditures, Tuan believes that such cost is not that large compared to the cost incurred to deal with any problems or risks of using unlicensed software.

Despite having been profusely warned, many companies, including wholly foreign-owned enterprises, continue to ignore these risks, as shown by a recent series of audits and spot checks nationwide carried out by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST).

Following the first software piracy lawsuit early this year, penalising computer software ownership violations has been more encouraged by the Vietnam government.

“Any intellectual property disputes should be solved at court as assets are involved,” Vu Xuan Thanh, the MoCST’s chief inspector said. Thanh personally encouraged companies to take legal proceedings, believing that this is the most effective and vigorous way to see to these problems, and it is also the way to be.

Vu Ngoc Hoan, acting head of the Copyright Office of Vietnam, agreed, saying that in parallel to law education, strong actions would be needed. Hoan encouraged copyright owners to refer any infringements of their products to the civil court to seek resolution and recovery of losses caused by the perpetrators.

By By Khanh Tran

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