Clean pirated software?

Q. Joel Conde of San Juan, Metro Manila, writes: "I like buying pirated products like PC games and programs because these are much cheaper than the original ones. Although it is definitely inferior when compared to a genuine copy (because, sometimes, the program doesn’t work in my PC), the price of a pirated product is oftentimes the bottom line, at least for ordinary consumers like me.

"But I realized certain pirated software programs/games are really costlier in the long run because they may have unknown risks to some PCs. One afternoon, while I was playing my favorite (pirated) computer game, which I bought from the tiangge, I noticed that the PC was running slower than usual. Days later, I observed my PC got even slower when performing an MS office program. So, I decided to seek assistance from a computer technician.

"The technician told me that my PC was infected and had ‘worm virus’, which replicated files every time it’s used. The virus continued to multiply unnecessary files, which caused the PC to slow down. He also noted that one of my PC games already contained the said virus and advised me to carefully scan every single disk or PC program/games every time I used it.

"Since stores selling these products are on a buy-at-your-own-risk basis (and, of course, we can’t demand for any warranty), how can DTI protect consumers from such sale?"

A DTI advises all consumers not to buy any pirated products. Even if vendors claim that most of the pirated copies are clean or virus-free, they are still fake and there are no guarantees on their quality.

The widespread occurrence of piracy, particularly software programs and games, means that there’s a big demand for these products because of their lower cost. A customer can now buy, for instance, a computer game for P100 to P300 compared to the original at around P1,000.

An intelligent consumer should not exchange quality for such an inexpensive and unsafe product. No matter how "cheap" that PC game is, you should just avoid buying it.

For information on anti-piracy policies, coordinate directly with the Intellectual Property Office. For actual raids or enforcement of intellectual property rights, you may contact the Videogram Regulatory Board, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation.

(You may send your consumer complaints and comments to the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection, DTI-Domestic Bldg., 361 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City. You may also call us at our consumer hotlines 896-5740 or 890-4938. Our e-mail address is www.e-reklamo.net.ph)