A SELLER of pirated software was convicted by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Manila and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of P50,000.

Judge Antonio Eugenio of Branch 24 of the RTC in Manila convicted Paquito Cantemprate, the proprietor of Benpaq Enterprises, which, in a surprise raid conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), was found to have 140 high-quality counterfeit Microsoft Windows 98.

Benpaq Enterprises, located at Crystal Jade, H. Lopez  Boulevard, Tondo, Manila, was known to have been reselling this product to customers. 

Meanwhile, the NBI warned Internet cafés in Laguna to use only licensed software.

This developed as personnel of the NBI’s Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD) raided three Internet cafés in Laguna simultaneously for allegedly using pirated and unlicensed software.

The owners and shop operators, as well as customers, of Netcave Central, Netcave Extension and C2D Net Internet cafés in Cabuyao town were surprised by the NBI-IPRD agents who served search warrants against the said establishments for the alleged use of pirated and unlicensed software in computers which had been rented out to customers.

A total of 65 computers loaded with pirated software and 18 pirated compact disk installers valued at P3 million were confiscated from the three raids.

Although the owners of the Internet cafés initially claimed that they were not aware of copyright laws, NBI agents were quick to point out that ignorance of the law was not an excuse and will not absolve them from the penalties prescribed by law.

Emma Wong and Bibiano Llarena, owners of Netcave and C2D Internet-cafés, respectively, were warned that software piracy was a violation of the Intellectual Property Code and is punishable by up to nine years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to P1.5 million.

THE National Police has launched a manhunt for the 12 suspects in the killings of political activists and journalists as part of its stepped-up efforts to speed up the resolution of 141  validated incidents of unexplained killings in the country.

MALACAŃANG accepted the resignation of Transportation Assistant Secretary Nilo Jatico, Air Transportation Office (ATO) chief, on November 12, leaving the aviation office in the hands of executive director Daniel Dimagiba.

CONTROVERSIAL Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio is aking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue an opinion declaring as unconstitutional an ordinance enacted by the provincial board on October 22, giving town mayors the authority to supervise quarrying activities, including the collection of fees and taxes from quarry operators.

THE 2007 Gusi Peace Prize Awards, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize, were given to 15 eminent personalities from all over the world, including three Filipinos, in ceremonies held at the Meralco Theater in Pasig City on November 21.

THE lawyer of a business tycoon has chided the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) for its failure to bring to the Sandiganbyan the son of the late dictator, who promised to present and testify on original documents purportedly showing that his late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, owns 60 percent of nine of Lucio Tan’s companies.

A SELLER of pirated software was convicted by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Manila and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of P50,000.