14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently opened a new Cybercrime Center at its Redmond campus, promising to fight malware and piracy across the world in a way never seen before.
It turns out that Microsoft is planning to address the issue of software piracy remotely in Africa, as the company is hoping that more users on the continent will actually purchase genuine software.
The center will thus monitor piracy trends, while Microsoft will work together with local agencies and organizations to encourage users to buy licenses for the software they use. Needless to say, those selling counterfeited software could be tracked down too.
“We opened the centre to create awareness, carry out enforcement of piracy, and cybercrime prevention. In our market there is a high chance of piracy, and we are supporting the governments to address the issue of piracy. But Microsoft can’t do it alone, and we have to work to with Intellectual Property bodies and companies and have managed to reduce it,” said Daniel Kanya Kamau, director for Anti-Piracy at Microsoft West, East, Central Africa, and Indian Ocean Islands, according to PCTechMag.
Microsoft has also revealed that it’s working with African resellers for expanding its retail network and thus make genuine products available to more buyers across the continent.
“Governments understand that Intellectual Property impacts the economy, but that hasn’t been the issue with software before… only for musicians and the music they create. Currently we are fostering a strong reseller community, so that they can quantify the impact on the economy,” Kamau added.
At the same time, Redmond recently joined forces with the Kenya Copyright Board for educational programs aimed at showing users that pirated software actually does more harm than good. Similar campaigns are also expected to be started in some other African countries, as Microsoft continues the anti-piracy fight on the continent.