Business school’s complaint to test E-Commerce Law

The government’s will to improve its reputation in the international community with regard to the protection of intellectual property rights and the enforcement of existing piracy laws faces a test.

This, as the Thames International Business School recently filed a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that would likely test the Electronic Commerce Law which was passed only last year.

According to Vivienne Tan, daughter of Chinese taipan Lucio Tan and president of Thames, the Philippines’ reputation was tainted when a Filipino hacker sent the "Love Bug" computer virus into the World Wide Web last year, causing untold damages around the world.

The country’s negative reputation was further reinforced by recent articles in international publications about the growing numbers of computer hackers and pirates in the country, she said.

Tan also cited the recent elevation of the Philippines to the priority watchlist of the US government with regard to IPR violations.

Thames itself, Tan said, has been a victim of such computer piracy and hacking when computer hackers were able to gain access to the school’s computer system recently.

Thames suspects that some of its former employees were involved in the computer hacking and may now be selling the stolen intellectual property to some members of the academic community.

Being among the new breed of entrepreneurs in the country, Tan felt the need to expose such hi-tech crime. She and her partner, Jaime Noel Santos, are thus testing the E-Commerce Law which penalizes cyber offenses.

Tan is hoping that the government would pay attention to such crimes. Santos said they have also brought their complaint to the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Santos and Tan are hoping that other companies, which have been victimized by computer pirates and hackers, also speak up instead of hiding such crimes because of embarrassment that their systems are not secure.