Microsoft Vietnam and Lac Viet Company on December 18 announced thatthey had filed a lawsuit against a Taiwanese company, Gold Long JohnDong Nai International, for software piracy.
This is the first time that a company in Vietnam has sued another company for using illegal computer software.
At a press conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 18,representatives of Microsoft Vietnam and Lac Viet Company said the GoldLong John company had been using a large amount of software valued atabout 1 billion VND (45,000 USD).
Inspectors fromthe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of PublicSecurity in June found the unlicensed software from Lac Viet andMicrosoft on 69 computers. The software was being used for businesspurposes.
A representative from Gold Long Johnsigned the inspection report, which said the company had infringedintellectual property laws.
Ha Than, general managerof Lac Viet, told Viet Nam News: "The complaints have been sent to thePeople's Court of the southern province of Dong Nai where Gold Long Johnis located."
Than said that his company andMicrosoft had done "all the necessary steps, such as negotiating" butthere had been "no effective co-operation".
"We willfollow the court case to the end and there will be no withdrawal," hesaid. "As a Vietnamese software company badly hurt by the illegal use ofour products, we hope that our legitimate interests will be protectedby the law."
Vu Xuan Thanh, chief inspector of theMinistry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said even though there had beenprevious lawsuits on copyright issues, this was the first case thatdealt with illegal use of software.
Lawsuits arethe most effective method against piracy, he said, adding that companiesshould use the courts to fight piracy.
Battling the issue through administrative channels was not sufficient, and lawsuits were a better solution, he said.
Tarun Sawney, senior director of Software Alliance's Anti-piracy inAsia-Pacific, said: "This is an effective way to help mitigate softwarepiracy. With this first court trial in Vietnam, we hope that thetribunal, along with the authorities' implementation of the Penal Codein the near future, will add an effective channel to help achieve ourset target of reducing the piracy rate in Vietnam to 70 percent by2018."
Gold Long John Dong Nai Internationalproduces footwear materials for major brand names.The company, based inNhon Trach 2 Industrial Park in Dong Nai Province, employs 200 people.
A representative of Gold Long John Dong Nai toldViet Nam News that it had already paid a fine. "We have not heardanything about the lawsuit and are still waiting for an officialannouncement from authorities," the representative said.-VNA
This is the first time that a company in Vietnam has sued another company for using illegal computer software.
At a press conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 18,representatives of Microsoft Vietnam and Lac Viet Company said the GoldLong John company had been using a large amount of software valued atabout 1 billion VND (45,000 USD).
Inspectors fromthe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of PublicSecurity in June found the unlicensed software from Lac Viet andMicrosoft on 69 computers. The software was being used for businesspurposes.
A representative from Gold Long Johnsigned the inspection report, which said the company had infringedintellectual property laws.
Ha Than, general managerof Lac Viet, told Viet Nam News: "The complaints have been sent to thePeople's Court of the southern province of Dong Nai where Gold Long Johnis located."
Than said that his company andMicrosoft had done "all the necessary steps, such as negotiating" butthere had been "no effective co-operation".
"We willfollow the court case to the end and there will be no withdrawal," hesaid. "As a Vietnamese software company badly hurt by the illegal use ofour products, we hope that our legitimate interests will be protectedby the law."
Vu Xuan Thanh, chief inspector of theMinistry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said even though there had beenprevious lawsuits on copyright issues, this was the first case thatdealt with illegal use of software.
Lawsuits arethe most effective method against piracy, he said, adding that companiesshould use the courts to fight piracy.
Battling the issue through administrative channels was not sufficient, and lawsuits were a better solution, he said.
Tarun Sawney, senior director of Software Alliance's Anti-piracy inAsia-Pacific, said: "This is an effective way to help mitigate softwarepiracy. With this first court trial in Vietnam, we hope that thetribunal, along with the authorities' implementation of the Penal Codein the near future, will add an effective channel to help achieve ourset target of reducing the piracy rate in Vietnam to 70 percent by2018."
Gold Long John Dong Nai Internationalproduces footwear materials for major brand names.The company, based inNhon Trach 2 Industrial Park in Dong Nai Province, employs 200 people.
A representative of Gold Long John Dong Nai toldViet Nam News that it had already paid a fine. "We have not heardanything about the lawsuit and are still waiting for an officialannouncement from authorities," the representative said.-VNA
