'win-win' solution for Internet cafes
Congress, CICT mull 'win-win' solution for Internet cafes
Representative Michael John "Jack" Duavit (Rizal, NPC) has met with a newly organized group of Internet café owners in the Philippines, the CICT, and the IPO to discuss possible solutions for Internet cafes amid the current government crackdown.
Duavit is chairman of the subcommittee on intellectual property and e-commerce at the House of Representatives.
Adoracion Monsanto, chief political affairs officer of Representative Duavit's office, confirmed the meeting with INQ7.net, indicating that the lawmaker has asked the Internet café owners' group to come up with a "formal position" that will likely be presented to the Business Software Alliance and law enforcement agencies that are currently engaged in a nationwide crackdown on local establishments using unlicensed software.
The alliance of Internet café owners is asking for a moratorium on the ongoing government crackdown, a member of the group who asked not to be identified, told INQ7.net in a separate interview.
The representative of the Internet café owners has asked the lawmaker and the CICT to help them lobby for "win-win" solutions for local Internet shop owners, while also protecting the intellectual property rights of software stakeholders. In a separate interview, CICT Commissioner Tim Diaz de Rivera told INQ7.net that the CICT is also weighing government policies specific to Internet café owners.
Diaz de Rivera acknowledged that government has yet to issue policies to protect small Internet café shop owners from being tied down to a specific software technology.
The agency deems the Internet cafe owners as partners in its separate activity that involves building community e-centers.
"It is not the CICT 's call to ask for a moratorium [on the crackdown]. It is Business Software Alliance's job. But admittedly, government is also calling for a moratorium because even government agencies cannot comply," Diaz de Rivera said.
The government official said that while government supports intellectual property rights of software companies, multinational firms like Microsoft also need to understand the basic issues of cost in buying new license software.
Similar to the fate of little Internet shop owners, Diaz de Rivera said government offices also have difficulty finding funds to buy new software licenses.
"You must understand that most of their annual budgets go to salary. Very little goes to capital outlay, which is usually used to buy software. Most agencies have not been given new capital outlay for the last three to four years," Diaz de Rivera said.
Meanwhile the representative of the Internet café owners stressed anew that many local establishments do want to comply with government requirements to use licensed software. But the current lack of supply of Microsoft software has forced small Internet shops in the country to close down.
"Just imagine how many employees of these Internet café shops are affected by this crackdown," the Internet shop owner said. "Just give us enough time for us to comply. We will have self-policing. We also want to coordinate with government agencies. We will be developing open source solutions for Internet cafes soon to encourage competition."
The Business Software Alliance was not available for comment as of posting time.
By Erwin Lemuel Oliva, INQ7.net
CONGRESS, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) met this week to discuss ways to help local Internet cafes comply with a government drive to legitimize their software.
CONGRESS, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) met this week to discuss ways to help local Internet cafes comply with a government drive to legitimize their software.
Representative Michael John "Jack" Duavit (Rizal, NPC) has met with a newly organized group of Internet café owners in the Philippines, the CICT, and the IPO to discuss possible solutions for Internet cafes amid the current government crackdown.
Duavit is chairman of the subcommittee on intellectual property and e-commerce at the House of Representatives.
Adoracion Monsanto, chief political affairs officer of Representative Duavit's office, confirmed the meeting with INQ7.net, indicating that the lawmaker has asked the Internet café owners' group to come up with a "formal position" that will likely be presented to the Business Software Alliance and law enforcement agencies that are currently engaged in a nationwide crackdown on local establishments using unlicensed software.
The alliance of Internet café owners is asking for a moratorium on the ongoing government crackdown, a member of the group who asked not to be identified, told INQ7.net in a separate interview.
The representative of the Internet café owners has asked the lawmaker and the CICT to help them lobby for "win-win" solutions for local Internet shop owners, while also protecting the intellectual property rights of software stakeholders. In a separate interview, CICT Commissioner Tim Diaz de Rivera told INQ7.net that the CICT is also weighing government policies specific to Internet café owners.
Diaz de Rivera acknowledged that government has yet to issue policies to protect small Internet café shop owners from being tied down to a specific software technology.
The agency deems the Internet cafe owners as partners in its separate activity that involves building community e-centers.
"It is not the CICT 's call to ask for a moratorium [on the crackdown]. It is Business Software Alliance's job. But admittedly, government is also calling for a moratorium because even government agencies cannot comply," Diaz de Rivera said.
The government official said that while government supports intellectual property rights of software companies, multinational firms like Microsoft also need to understand the basic issues of cost in buying new license software.
Similar to the fate of little Internet shop owners, Diaz de Rivera said government offices also have difficulty finding funds to buy new software licenses.
"You must understand that most of their annual budgets go to salary. Very little goes to capital outlay, which is usually used to buy software. Most agencies have not been given new capital outlay for the last three to four years," Diaz de Rivera said.
Meanwhile the representative of the Internet café owners stressed anew that many local establishments do want to comply with government requirements to use licensed software. But the current lack of supply of Microsoft software has forced small Internet shops in the country to close down.
"Just imagine how many employees of these Internet café shops are affected by this crackdown," the Internet shop owner said. "Just give us enough time for us to comply. We will have self-policing. We also want to coordinate with government agencies. We will be developing open source solutions for Internet cafes soon to encourage competition."
The Business Software Alliance was not available for comment as of posting time.
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