Software piracy revealed

Sarath Malalasekera

COLOMBO: Several computer software along with their Point-of-Sale (POS) software were taken into custody from Weligama and Matara supermarkets on a search warrant issued by the Matara Addi­tional Magistrate Chandima Daala Bandara recently.

On a directive by the Magistrate the Colombo University submitted a report to court stating that the POS software contained in the Compact Disk and the CPU pro­duced, there is a violation of the rights of the plaintiffs.

The University Of Colombo report also stated that the POS Software contained in the CPU pro­duced, contained substantial copy­ing of the POS software contained in the Compact Disk produced in Court.

Earlier the Magistrate ordered the University of Colombo to sub­mit a report to court as to whether the copyright in the software con­tained in the computers had been

infringed. Earlier the Magistrate issued a search warrant on an application by Scienter Technolo­gies (Pvt) Limited, alleging that the defendants had infringed its copy­right. The plaint was filed under the Intellectual Property Act No. 3 of 2003.

Co-op Food City Matara, Softlog-ic Computer (Private) Limited, Softlogic information systems (Pri­vate) Limited and Charith Suminda Bandara cited as the defendants in the case.

The plaintiff also alleged that three of the defendants illegally obtained the software from the fourth defendant Charitha Sumin­da Bandara, who was earlier employed by the complainant.

Dr. Harsha Cabraal with Anuja Premaratne and Buddhika Ilan-gatilleke appeared for the plaintiff company.

Chandaka Jayasundera with Jee-vantha Jayatilleke appeared for the defendants.

The Magistrate put off the case for May 28.