An interview with Bartłomiej Witucki, spokesperson for the Business Software Alliance
Michał Koralewski: What is the scale of piracy in Poland?
Bartłomiej Witucki: Recent studies conducted annually on behalf of the BSA show that for the first time since 1994, the trend of a systematic decrease in piracy levels has reversed: the piracy rate in Poland has increased by 1% over the last year and currently stands at 54%.
M.K.: What are the reasons for the piracy level in Poland starting to rise again?
B.W.: It seems there are many reasons, but the most important one is likely the economic situation in the country, which has resulted in a significant reduction in investments in IT resources. No less important is a kind of social acceptance for the theft of intellectual property: it is widely believed that stealing computer software is a lesser form of theft.
M.K.: What is the current profile of the Business Software Alliance’s activities?
B.W.: The BSA focuses on promoting legal and secure software, highlighting the benefits of using it, while on the other hand, it warns against the risks resulting from using illegal copies of computer programs, both in terms of legal consequences and the security and efficiency of the IT resources being used. We achieve this strategic goal of our activities through various types of information and educational campaigns as well as training on proper software management.
The article comes from the magazine “e-Fakty” 2/2004.