The Czech arm of the Business Software Alliance is prosecuting its first case under the country’s software piracy laws. A group of Czech teenagers allegedly made a few hundred copies of locally-produced computer software packages and sold them for $10 a piece, after advertising them via direct mail-shots. The Alliance, set up last month, comprises local software companies such as Software602, APP Systems, AutoDesk Inc and the Czech branch of Microsoft Corp. Under ex-isting legislation, the youths could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison or fined up to $10,000, if found guilty. Local lawyers, police and judiciary have been primed for the test case by a series of sem-inars organised in conjunction with BSA Europe. Software602 sales manager Jan Muhlfeit said that the teenagers, all aged between 16 and 18, had written a lett-er to the Alliance apologising for their actions – they claimed they did not know that they were doing anything wrong. He conceded many Czechs still do not realise that copying and selling software is illegal, and appeared slightly uncomfortable about the decision to prosecute. But he denied the organisation was be-ing heavy-handed in making an example of the teenagers, saying he had to prove a point, although the All-iance does not want them imprisoned. The case will be quickly followed by a second action taken against a large electronic bulletin board company. The firm will be accused of distributing software illegally as part of its service to subscribers. Court proceedings against end-users are not expected until the end of the year. The Alliance is confident that existing Czech software legislation will be amended in June, with new laws being based on the recommendations of European Community directives. Current laws say that copyright, in all cases, belongs to the programmer and is not tranferable. This anomaly means local software firms must sign ‘exclusive distribution’ contracts with the programmers they employ. As a result, foreign software firms that wish to produce local language versions are forced to adapt their applications abroad to retain full ownership rights. Software602 is negotiating with Microsoft Corp’s Prague subsidiary at the moment to translate its software, and has play-ed a leading role in pressing for legislative changes. Microsoft currently adapts its local language packages by drafting Czech programmers to its base in Ireland.
