You have got love Indonesia. People are friendly, the cost of living is cheap and people have a different outlook. Take for instance the comment made by Sofyan Djalil, Indonesias information minister, after Microsoft had agreed to charge the government $1 for every government computer running a pirated copy of Windows. He said, "Microsoft is being realistic, they can't force developing countries like us to solely use legal software since we can't afford it. They want us to gradually reduce our use of it."
Never mind about stamping out piracy throughout the country, they cannot even stamp it out at the government offices. I am sure Bill Gates will not lose any sleep over losing a few bucks, though the issue of piracy is interesting. For example, does a low level of piracy really hurt a company? In some respects it does, it others it actually helps them. If you train an 18-year-old using a pirated copy of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word etc.) chances are that person will be a lifetime user. Chances are they will show it to their friends and teach them. In a weird kind of way you are creating customers for the future.
Here in Bali software piracy is rampant and a walk in the Kuta area will reveal bargains galore. You might pick up a copy of Adobe Photoshop for 20,000rp, a CD or DVD for 10,000rp.
I think President SBY is a decent guy who is trying his best to grapple with the countries problems. One method of stamping out piracy would be to target businesses rather than individuals. In Indonesia individuals do not pay personal income tax unless they earn over 1m rp per month. Businesses do as they are easier to track down and this might be the route to stop piracy.
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{ 8 comments }
Many of us who go to Bali for holidays are in a similar economic situation as the Indonesian govt. If we had to pay 20 or 30 dollars each for all our CDs and DVDs, then we would not have much of a collection. I like to think that we are helping the Balinese economy and employment situation.
Hi Rex,
Spot on!. Supporting the economy in Bali is important to them. Okay, so we are buying pirate copies of DVD’s etc, So what!.
I picked up a copy of Adobe Premiere for a friend of mine and only paid Rp20,000. He was telling me the other day that it’s absolutely perfect.
Nick is right about Gates. The bastard has enough money!. Why whinge about government dept’s using pirate copies of Windows. Heck, he should be supplying them with bonafide ones, and, to all other counreies in the underdeveloped world.
I wonder what this will mean to the local Warnets.
Are we going to see a significant increase
hourly fee of computer/internet use when we sit
down and check our e-mails at the many warnets
in kuta next year? That would suck.
I sometimes wonder if Microsoft would be as big as
they are right now if it weren’t for the software
piracy all around world. Now people all around the
world use their software. Especially in Indonesia.
Does ol’ Bill really think that an average Indonesian will pay Rp 2 Million for a Windows
Software?
Microsoft has already denied the report. Anywyay, if the Indonesian government can afford to buy Migs from Russia and submarines from South Korea (at a cool $300 million a pop) they can afford to buy legal software. If they don’t want to pay, they can use Linux. No one is *forcing* anyone to use Microsoft software. Anyway, you might think you are helping Indonesia’s economy, but think about Indonesian software companies. How can they develop a business and offer employment to Indonesians if anyone can simply copy and sell their work?
With popor Shappelle in jail, if we stopped buying DVD’s from Indonesia their economy would snap. Australia is the number 1 feeder country to Indonesia. If Australians stop flying to Indonesia and buying DVD’s, Indonesia would be begging us to come back. What they did to shappelle was bad!
Don’t think so Matt…
I can’t wait to get back, most Aussies that haven’t been brainwashed by the media in OZ would be thinking the same…
Aussies will never stop going to Bali & they have no reason to stop going!!!!
Matt, it’s Schapelle not Shappelle hehehe
well u guys should bear in mind that the poor people of bali who only earn maybe 1 dollar a day have the right to wear nice clothes, watch movies that we watch and be allowed to watch movies in the cinema. we as the australian public are abusing thier privlidge of having cheap things avalible.
go into kuta square…most of the locals are wearing a cheap rolex watch or a counterfit versace belt. the balinese people sell their goods for mayb 10 times the pirce to australians than they sell to the locals. well in the main i believe piracy in all levels is fair. i strongly believe that poor people have the right to live like us by wearing clothes like us or watching movies like us.
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