Photo above shows one of the 89 seized computers during the recent raid of the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team against Top Ideas Food Corporation. The seized computers with an estimated value of 4 million pesos were found loaded with unlicensed and pirated business software.

Manila, Philippines – The Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Division (AFCCD) of the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) seized 89 units of computers during the recent raid against Top Ideas Food Corporation (TIFC). These computers were found loaded with unlicensed and pirated copies of Adobe and Microsoft programs with an estimated value of more than four (4) million pesos.

TIFC is the holding company behind some of the popular restaurants in the country including Flavours of China, Tempura Japanese Grill, Holy Cow Steak Ranch and American Grill, Karate Kid Japanese Fastfood and Dezaato Pan Breads Sweets Café. The company was earlier reported to the hotline of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) to be utilizing computers with unlicensed and pirated copies business software programs in its office at # 16 Makaturing St., Brgy. Manresa, San Jose Del Monte, Quezon City.

Upon the complaint filed by the BSA on behalf of its members for software copyright infringement, the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT), through the PNP, took the necessary enforcement actions. A raid was conducted by virtue of the search warrants issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court for the company’s alleged violation of Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

PNP-CIDG-AFCCD Chief PSSupt. Joel Orduña said that the PNP together with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Optical Media Board (OMB), will not show any sign of complacency while crimes such as this are committed by opportunists. “We would like to remind the public once again that software piracy is a crime and offenders of the law will not be spared from its legal consequences,” said PSSupt. Orduña.

PSSupt. Orduña added, “TIFC has its own intellectual property – the recipes. TIFC officers would definitely not be happy to know that their recipes are being copied by other restaurants, in the same manner that the software developers are disappointed that their products are used illegally in the operation of TIFC’s restaurants.”

The raid on TIFC is part of the PAPT’s ongoing nationwide crackdown campaign against businesses using unlicensed and pirated software. The PAPT is a government led initiative to address software piracy problems and is composed of the NBI, OMB and PNP.

The BSA, on the other hand, commended the government’s quick action on the copyright violation against its members’ products. “This is yet another commendable effort from the PAPT. Businesses should realize that software piracy does not only jeopardize the competitiveness of the Philippine IT industry, it is stunting the growth of our local economy,” said Atty. Bien Marquez, BSA Consultant for the Philippines.

“We also laud the courage of the informant who stepped out and reported TIFC’s alleged use of unlicensed and pirated software. Your cooperation is a step further towards promoting a vibrant Philippine IT sector,” Marquez added.

As part of its support to the PAPT, the BSA maintains a hotline (02) 895-6438 and 1-800-10-BSA-HTLN (1-800-10-272-4856, toll free) that receives information against businesses that are allegedly infringing on its members’ copyright. The BSA offers a reward of up to 1 million pesos for substantive reports on businesses suspected of using unlicensed software.

The use of unlicensed and pirated software is a violation of the Optical Media Law and the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines and is punishable by up to nine years imprisonment and a maximum fine of 1.5 million pesos.

For more information about the PAPT and the “Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late!” campaign, call the PAPT Secretariat at (02) 692-9516 or visit www.papt.org.ph.