Sunday, July 28, 2002 |
00:42 - Malaysia to condone the use of pirated software in schools
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/7/28/nation/jhsoftwar&sec=nation
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Oh, this just warms my heart's cockles.
The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry may consider allowing schools and social organisations to use pirated computer software for educational purposes.
Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the exemption for such institutions and organisations was to encourage usage among Malaysians and speed up computer literacy among students.
Yeah, brilliant idea. The students are going to be using pirated software on their own computers at home anyway; so since it's obviously more important to try to teach them how to use the same software that they're probably already more proficient at using than the teachers will be than to convey to the impressionable kids the concept that software theft is as wrong as any other kind of theft, they may as well just bite the bullet. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Raise a fine upstanding generation of ... yeah. Rrgh.
However, he stressed that other sectors, especially the commercial sector like companies and factories, would be booked if they were found to be using pirated software.
“We are concerned over the rampant sale and use of pirated computer software in the country and will continue to conduct raids to curb it.
“But for educational purposes and to encourage computer usage, we may consider allowing schools and social organisations to use pirated software,” he said after opening a state-level National Day poetry-reading contest in Pagoh yesterday.
Yeah, be sure to make it a double standard while you're at it. It wouldn't be an intellectual-property debate without one.
Has the entire world lost its ability to distinguish right from wrong in the presence of a copy of Photoshop?
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