.: Montenegro Tops Software Piracy

Monday, January 14, 2008

Montenegro Tops Software Piracy

BIRN: 14 January 2008, Podgorica -- More than four-fifths of software used in Montenegro is believed to be pirated, according to the Montenegrin office of software giant Microsoft.
The Montenegrin government is losing $5-6 million (€3.38-4.06) each year in unpaid taxes, due to the use of illegal software, the head of Microsoft Montenegro, Oliver Obradovic, told the Montenegrin agency, Mina-business.

"Experience in the neighbouring countries has taught us that action by the tax and police administrations has produced the best results as regards suppression of software piracy," Obradovic said.

Obradovic has called for the drafting of amendments to the law that refers to the tax administration, which currently does not include breach of copyright.

Microsoft estimates that pirated software accounts for 83% of all software in use in Montenegro.
Illegal use applies to the private sector and individuals because the government has signed a contract on a strategic partnership with Microsoft, and has introduced licensed software in most public bodies, including the municipal authorities.

According IDC, a company dealing with information technology statistics, the extent of software piracy in Montenegro is the highest in the region.

The extent of piracy in Croatia is 55%, Macedonia and Bulgaria 69%, Bulgaria, 65%, Serbia 78% and Slovenia 48%.

Obradovic says that the government has adopted a set of legal documents in the field of intellectual property rights, which is the first important step in struggle against software piracy.
"However, we consider the struggle against software crime to be a process,” Obradovic said, noting that further measures needed to be taken.

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New York Times article published May 21, 1911

"ALBANIAN JOAN OF ARC: Handsome Heroine Takes Father's Place and Vanquishes Turks" – Cetinja, May 21, 1911 - A young girl, whose first name corresponds to that of the given name of the Maid of Orleans, is now being sung in the songs of the Montenegrin bards in the inns and coffee houses in Podgorica. When at the battle of Vranje last week, her father, the hereditary commander of his clan, fell, she immediately stepped to his place and led the Martinajs to victory against the Turks. Aside from the romantic phase of the affair, for Janitza Martinaj (Tringa e Grudes) is very beautiful, the battle is important as showing that the Montenegrins on the frontier had joined with the Albanians. According to a person who is well acquainted with her, this new Joan of Arc is “a tall, handsome, well-developed young woman. All the Albanian women are brave, and are trained from their girlhood to the use of firearms, and in times of war, as there are no mules, they carry the provisions and ammunition for their soldiers and go into the firing line to distribute them.” “And are sometimes killed?” “Yes, often that happens.” Janitza would probably have carried a Martini rifle; or, as many of the Marininis were collected last year by the Turks, her weapon may perhaps have been one of the old-fashioned Albanian rifles, which are handsomely decorated with silver and have very long, narrow barrels. Shooting is almost the only amusement of the young men and women in Albania. Both boys and girls learn to shoot when they are 12 years old. At weddings the parties amuse themselves by dancing and shooting: at christenings shootings is again the principal amusement – firing at large targets for some little prize – and at festivals there is shooting all day long. It’s one of the great difficulties that Turks have to contend with, for it is part of the national life; the people use their rifles by day and sleep with them by their side by night. The custom has grown up with the prevailing insecurity from vendettas at home and border troubles abroad. Physically, the Albanians are the finest race in Europe. Their women are handsome, with dark hair, though their eyes are sometimes gray. To see them walk is a delight. We like to see the ballet in Servia. The first time I saw the Albanians walk it gave me just the same pleasure. Their movements are so graceful, elegance and strength together. Yes, they are a very fine and very gifted race. They are like the Scots in the 17th century, and they will be by and by the finest race, intellectually as well as physically, in the Balkans. If you go to Constantinople you will find that many of the finest men, not only soldiers but also statesmen are Albanians. Their fault, due to their present degree of civilization, is that they cannot grasp the idea of State. The clan is their highest organization; they are unable to see the importance of combining the clan with the higher organization of making a state. But that will come.

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Monday, January 14, 2008

Montenegro Tops Software Piracy

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