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Sunday, October 09, 2005
Computer expert bats for cheaper software
AN INFORMATION technology professional Saturday urged the government to allow the schools and government offices with computers to use cost-free and inexpensive software.
Philippine Greens Institute executive director Roberto Verzola said in the weekly "Kapihan sa Sulo" forum that free software could provide essential services to Filipinos, particularly students.
Verzola questioned the raids conducted on schools and Internet cafés using pirated software as he pointed out that while the move is meant to protect the intellectual property rights of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, "it has made the richest man in the world become richer and deprived poor students easier access to affordable education".
"These businesses deserve awards and support not raids and persecution. Schools and Internet cafes provide affordable education and computer access to poor students, who eventually work abroad as skilled programmers and computer technicians," Verzola said.
He also said the Intellectual Property Law and the Optical Media Act, which criminalized the unauthorized use of copyrighted software, were enacted under "strong US pressure."
Verzola said a Third World country like the Philippines should be exempted from strict copyright policies.
He urged school administrators and government officials to use free software instead, which could be freely and legally copied.
Commercial software costs P8,500 to P19,500. (JPM/Sunnex)
(October 9, 2005 issue)
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