Technology firms stop selling software as losses mount up
Technology firms, which have incurred loss of revenue because of copyright infringement, have decided to rent, rather than sell, software to businesses at low fees. In mid-September, about 15 technology firms, including well-known names such as Microsoft, ODS, Vonline, Nhan Hoa, BKNS, ESC, Hostvn, and Mat Bao, joined forces to run a demand stimulus program in leasing copyrighted software. Under the program, users can use Windows Server for free for six months if provided by these service providers. Experts said that this was an effort to persuade businesses to use copyrighted software. Vietnam is one of the countries with high software piracy level. The latest report of BSA (the Software Alliance) showed that the proportion of pirated software use in Vietnam is 78 percent, a drop of 3 percent compared with 2013. The decrease, according to BSA, is considerable, but the proportion remains very high. BSA once sued two Vietnamese companies for the unlicensed use of software.
