A BitDefender Anti-Piracy Campaign for Manila Central University

     According to a recent Business Software Alliance (BSA) report, software piracy in the Philippines remained at a high 69% in year 2007 industry losses increased from US$119 million to US$ 147 million.

     Software piracy does not only affect the industry. Reducing software piracy can, according to an IDC report, generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs, pave way in boosting the local ICT industry, and increase tax revenues to support local programs and services. It is clear that software piracy is an economic, social and national problem.

     Bit Defender antivirus security solutions, together with its country distributor IPSYSTEMS Inc., teamed with Manila Central University in taking the first sustainable step in fighting against software piracy. They believe that this can be done through the proper education of our students and youths, who are tomorrow’s society movers.

     The “Bit Piracy at its Own Game” campaign aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. educate students on everything about virus, Trojans and malware, in order to raise their awareness of the possible dangers online and the need to protect themselves and their data;
2. educate students regarding software piracy and its economic and social effects in the country; and
3. raise the awareness of Philippine educational system in their vital roles for this challenge.

1. Talks, seminars and presentations for students
   Students will be addressed through talks and seminars in an effort to raise their awareness on:
• Everything about virus, Trojans and malware. This is to help them see the technical side of the reality of the dangers online, and to help them protect themselves and their data using technology and knowledge;
• Best practices on personality security, online and offline; and
• The software piracy situation in the Philippines and around the world, as well as the harm that a lax attitude towards this reality can bring.
2. Student-friendly discounted price of original antivirus software for personal needs From booths situated in the campus, students are offered the change to purchase authentic antivirus software for their personal use of a promotional price.

     The duration of campaign is one (1) month, in order to truly instill the values and objectives of the campaign in the students and to make the program memorable rather than a one-time project.