BSA The Software Alliance yesterday raised the possibility that thousands of engineering and design firms engaged in important public works projects in the Philippines may be using unlicensed software.
As this practice poses a significant risk to public safety, BSA urged these companies to cease this practice immediately and for the government and the authorities to enforce the law.
“We cannot use unlicensed software to build infrastructure and expect the outcome to be safe and secure for the public,” said Tarun Sawney, BSA senior director, in a report yesterday.
BSA is calling upon authorities in the Philippines to closely examine the software used by private engineering and design contractors, particularly those engaged in public works and infrastructure projects.
BSA quoted reports of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines which said counterfeit and piracy reports across a range of products increased dramatically by 286 percent during the first half of the year. In 2022, the agency recorded 52 reports, and this year, the number has escalated to 200, highlighting a concerning trend in copyright infringement across the country.
BSA said the ongoing risk of unlicensed software use in major national infrastructure projects not only jeopardizes the integrity of these projects but also highlights a broader regional issue of intellectual property rights enforcement.
Sawney said in the Philippines where enforcement action against users of infringing software is rarely reported by police, the government should be wary of any contractor that cannot certify its software licensing.
“We believe there are many more examples of engineering firms that are intentionally using unlicensed software. We also believe that some engineering firms are not properly managing software assets, and as a result, their designers are using unlicensed software,” said Sawney.
