The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has announced a month-long amnesty for individuals and companies using pirated software. The amnesty period will allow those with pirated software a chance to purchase genuine software ahead of a planned crackdown. According to BSA Global Software Survey of 2014, piracy rates remain high in Kenya, at a staggering 78% which translates to a commercial value at Ksh. 12.8 billion in pirated software.
The KECOBO Acting Executive Director Edward Sigei has said that the rampant use of pirated software is denying the country an opportunity to derive gains from genuine software. A survey showed that properly licensed software use globally by 1 percent would add an estimated $73 billion (an equivalent of Ksh. 7.3 trillion) into the world economy, compared to 2 trillion from pirated software. This provides a $53 billion (Ksh. 5.3 trillion) advantage associated with using licensed software.
Microsoft’s Country Manager for Kenya Kunle Awosika said that using licensed software ensures that firms get the most value of their money, reliable technical support, free antivirus and antimalware protection, reduced risk of cleaning and fixing systems, and long term value. He further explained that anyone using pirated software has 74% chance of falling victim to cybercrime. During the one-month Amnesty, Microsoft will drive consumer awareness campaigns around the purchase and use of genuine software through activities that will seek to empower users to acquire and use genuine software.