Lagos — Even as software piracy continues to pose a challenge to the global IT market, software giant Adobe has restated its commitment to the Nigerian IT market, saying that it would use education to enforce compliance to stem the ugly trend.

Adobe Channel Compliance Manager, Middle East and Africa, Elastair deWet who stated this last Monday in Lagos during the company's road show in Nigeria noted that software piracy is the illegal distribution and/or reproduction of Adobe software applications or fonts for business or personal use, adding that whether software piracy is deliberate or not, it is still illegal and punishable by law.

Although he did not disclose the amount Adobe may be losing in the Nigerian market and globally, he noted that software piracy comes in many forms including Licensed user duplication for unlicenced users, Illegal Internet distribution, Illegal use of Adobe® Acrobat® over a network, distributing, specialized education versions to unauthorized markets, distribution of inauthentic Adobe software or fonts, among others.

" We will offer discount structure for Nigeria. Nigeria is important market to us. We will use education to sensitize people about piracy. But we may be compelled to use other means as regards compliance if education fails. We are going to work with the Nigerian Copyright Commission to enforce compliance otherwise the issue piracy will continue to course more harm than good not only in the local market but globally.

We are committed to the Nigerian IT market with many of our state of art soft products including creative suite. Adobe has revolutionized how the world engages with ideas and information" he said.

According to him, if someone copies software without buying the appropriate number of licenses, it is copyright infringement. Each of these activities is a form of software piracy:

"Be cautious when ordering software over the Internet. Many resellers with Internet storefronts or those who sell from auction sites knowingly distribute copies of software illegally" he advised.Adobe Acrobat is a powerful tool to help employees communicate efficiently and securely enterprise-wide.

Given the need to share Acrobat files with a wide network of employees and partners, there are some specific licensing requirements to be aware of. Please check out the Acrobat licensing

According to Wet, Adobe creates special versions of its software to meet the needs of the education market. These versions, he said are clearly labeled to avoid confusion with other market segments.

Before now, keen observers have warned end users to be cautious when ordering software over the Internet. Many resellers , according to them, with Internet storefronts or those who sell from auction sites knowingly distribute copies of software illegally. Software & Information Industry Association, estimates reveal that as much as 90% of software sold over Internet auction sites is bootlegged or gray market.

So, if the pricing seems too good to be true, it probably is.What a lot of people don't realize or don't think about is that when you purchase software, you are actually pur