To commemorate Intellectual Property Rights Week, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) conducted the 2nd Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit in October 2012. Microsoft was invited to participate in a panel discussion during the event held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City, Manila.
The full-day Summit focused on the latest trends involving the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the Philippines, presenting Microsoft Philippines with the opportunity to discuss the latest intellectual property issues with government officials and key enforcement officers.
Counterfeiting and piracy remain key concerns for the business community in the Philippines. According to data released by the IPOPHL-led National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights, more than 3.3 million pieces and almost 2,600 cartons and sacks of counterfeit products worth PHP4.126 billion (US$101 million) were confiscated during the first three quarters of 2012 by local enforcement agencies.
Microsoft has been proactively supporting the ongoing initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the risks associated with the use of counterfeit products and pirated software in the Philippines. During a panel discussion entitled “Cybercrime and Internet Piracy: The Growing Threat Against Intellectual Property Rights”, Raul Cortez, Legal and Corporate Affairs Director of Microsoft Philippines, highlighted the downside and security issues related to pirated software.
“The use of pirated software poses a significant threat to the security of personal information, and may in turn lead to more serious security breaches caused by malware imbedded in the pirated software — even to the extent of causing a threat to national security. We hope to support the Philippines government in their continuing efforts to counter these threats and to raise the current levels of intellectual property rights protection in the country,” said Mr Cortez.
The Summit also saw the official launch of the “Manual for the Investigation and Prosecution of Intellectual Property Cases”, the Philippines’ first comprehensive guide to aid investigators and prosecutors who are involved in intellectual property rights enforcement cases.
“We hope to support the Philippines government in their continuing efforts to counter the threats posed to intellectual property rights protection.”
- Raul Cortez, Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, Microsoft Philippines
Sarvodaya-Fusion, the information and communication technology (ICT) education arm of nonprofit group Sarvodaya, has been involved in developing and implementing a broad range of educational programmes in disadvantaged communities since 2006. Microsoft Sri Lanka is committed to providing Sarvodaya-Fusion with technical and financial support in aid of their efforts to strengthen community bonds and empower marginalised youth in Sri Lanka through ICT training.
In November 2012, Microsoft supported Sarvodaya-Fusion in the launch of a new programme to train ‘citizen journalists’ to develop news stories and share the information in real time — with the ultimate objective of using technology to facilitate increased transparency and citizen participation at the community level. During the workshop, participants were given the opportunity to receive personal coaching and practical experience in the field of participatory journalism, as well as develop basic photo journalism skills.
The use of ICT as a powerful but affordable means of communication has vastly reshaped the nature of journalism — a good example is how a local citizen journalist is able to conduct interviews and leverage social networks to deliver a piece of news relying solely on a smartphone’s functions. According to Sarvodaya-Fusion, the yardstick of success for this citizen journalism programme would be measured by the stories generated by the trainees, as part of the efforts to build stronger communities.
Udara Dharmasena, a Project Coordinator at Sarvodaya-Fusion, said, “This new service provides an exciting opportunity for young people to actively contribute to society and culture. With the support of Microsoft, we have provided all of the tools needed to record, upload and distribute news in real time, something that has never been possible before.”
Microsoft has also joined forces with Sarvodaya-Fusion to initiate a new ICT training and employment scheme for underprivileged youth in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, which were greatly affected by the civil war over the past decades.
Together, Microsoft and Sarvodaya-Fusion aim to provide better access to ICT education to more than 1,400 young people by implementing specialised training schemes at six Sarvodaya centres and more than twenty regional ’telecentres’ across the country. The students, typically between the ages of 14 and 19, will undergo a six-month course and sit for Fusion Education’s Diploma in Computer Application (DICA) qualification, which provides a recognised accreditation in ICT knowledge.
Harsha Liyanage, Sarvodaya-Fusion Managing Director, said, “It has been a wonderful experience to work with Microsoft and offer new training opportunities to young people. The students have been enthusiastic and worked hard throughout and more than deserve the recognition and success that they are now receiving. It has been a privilege for us to be able to assist these communities that have been ravaged by the war and help them to create a sustainable future.”
“It has been a wonderful experience to work with Microsoft and offer new training opportunities to young people.”
- Harsha Liyanage, Managing Director, Sarvodaya-Fusion
For more information, please visit http://fusion.lk
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