Intellectual Property
Intellectual property rights consists of a legal framework that provides copyright protection of intellectual property has been put into place under the Copyright Act of 1987. Under this Act, computer programs are protected as literary works. Since this time, a bilateral agreement between Singapore and the United States has been in effect and any abuses of this policy are to be reported to the U.S. Embassy for guidance.(32) In addition to the U.S. Embassy playing an important role, the Singapore courts have started handing down tougher penalties for copyright infringement.
Piracy Rate
The current piracy rate in Singapore is 63% with a 1993 estimated dollar loss of $32 million. This rate is somewhat lower than other areas in Asia such as China, with a rate of 94% and Malaysia, with a rate of 98%. However, compared to the United States with a rate of 35%, the piracy rate is high and even makes some foreign investors reconsider investing in the country.(33)
Although piracy is an important concern for many businesses, steps are being put into place to correct the problem. For example, the Business Software Alliance has set up a local hotline in Singapore in hopes that illegal activity is reported by calling 65.226.0196. With steps like this being taken, many hope that shipping software to Singapore for re- distribution will enable suppliers to have more control over piracy than if the products were shipped directly to other Asian markets. If Singapore can work on establishing itself as a safe transfer point for software being shipped to other areas in Asia, the island has the ability to become a major distribution center for the Asian market.
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