How do I go about this or get this done on my site?

I will greatly appreciate your response

I also remember that Microsoft had a brush with Globacom Limited (Nigeria) before over the use of pirated software. So it is indeed true that the reluctance to pay for software is partly attitudinal, partly out of ignorance and partly because of lack.

Can’t say I completely agree. Accessibility (point 2)- fine, but pricing- No.

The same people who would complain about not being able to afford a legitimate software for $25 – $100, go on to purchase the latest mobile phones and gadgets at exorbitant rates.

To me it’s just a matter of misplaced priorities. People would rather spend $50-$200 on just an evening’s outing, than spend the same amount purchasing software whose “rights to use” they could own forever, just because they can get it for free (seemingly).

You even find business people spending a fortune on the latest cars, but aren’t even willing to spend a fraction of the same amounts on software which would enhance their businesses and yield the same profit they’d use to purchase those same cars.

The pricing line of argument to me just doesn’t cut it, because there are instances of even financial institutions and large corporates using these pirated software.

There was an instance of a swoop on one of the Financial institutions by Microsoft in Nigeria, where they had to settle out of court for millions of dollars. Can the same line of argument apply to these as well?

Some have even argued that more education on piracy is needed, but I dare ask- Which one of us doesn’t know piracy is wrong? In my opinion, we as Africans just need to task ourselves to do the right things. We know and have always known what to do, but just won’t.

1. The general economic hardship does not allow them the extra cash to spend on buying legitimate software.
2. No means of paying online since credit cards are not yet mainstream.

Thus, many are used to looking for free software and out of that, some fall for cracked version of legitimate software (known as warez). Thus some use warez only out of ignorance with its grievous effects.

However, there are legitimate software that are free-of-charge even security software. I will examine some of those in my next post about this issue.

The example you’ve shown in this article is a clear reminder and testament to that. The issue is even worse when it comes to operating systems.

I was opportuned to attend a Microsoft Licensing and Business productivity conference at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi on the 19th, where I had the opportunity of meeting Mr. Victor Diali- Distribution Account Manager for Microsoft Anglophone West Africa.

During his lecture at the conference, he asked a question that made everyone smile- How Many of You have actually bought a software in your lives?

Most people would rather opt in for these seemingly FREE (cracked) software, but what they fail to realize is that in using these software, they are exposing their systems to some of the vulnerabilities mentioned above.

Mr Diali also shared a personal experience he had where someone had apparently hi-jacked his PC, and he was engaged in a “power struggle” for use of his own mouse with this person.

Stats have it that 29% of software currently in use in the UK are pirated. One can only imagine what the figure would be like down here.

It’s just plain sad. People need to realize that in using these pirated products, they are not only doing harm to themselves, but also infringing on intellectual property belonging to someone else.

I hope we all learn something from this. Nice one David.