Ion Ţiganas, vice director of the State Agency on Intellectual Protection (AGEPI), announced that a campaign will be soon launched to inform the people about the risks of violating intellectual rights and of virtual piracy.
In a news conference at IPN, Ion Tiganas said the public authorities budgeted money for purchasing licensed software for their work so as to give an example to the ordinary people. The AGEPI vice director also spoke about the risks of using a counterfeit software program, including the breaking down of the computer, loss of stored information and leaking of personal information.
“When using unlicensed software, the people cause damage to the state budget as there are not collected revenues from the taxes paid by software making companies and potential investments are missed. Moldova’s image abroad is affected as a country that cannot ensure the virtual safety cannot be trusted,” said Ion Tiganas.
He also said that the Moldovan authorities do not tell the people to purchase software from a company or another, but inform them that they can use licensed software free of charge as some companies make software open for users.
The authorities will also adjust the Moldovan legislation in the field to the international one. Currently, the highest penalty for a digital offense is five years in jail. Nobody has been yet sentenced to prison in Moldova. The highest fine is 100,000 lei.
