Entity also celebrates the first anniversary of the Legal Entrepreneur project, an initiative that encourages the use of licensed programs

ABES, an association of software companies, removed 11.557 illegal download links for computer programs in the first three months of the year. Of that total, 4.037 were removed specifically from auction sites, an increase of 12,6% compared to the number of such links blocked in the first three months of last year.

Recently, ABES monitoring has gained support from the Free Market Intellectual Property Protection Program (PPI). Through the program, the removal of illegal software offers on the site is now done within 24 hours.

Also according to the entity, another 7.509 illegal links were disabled in the first quarter of the year. The amount is 3,1% lower when compared to the number of blockades of the type made in the first quarter of 2013. The entity claims to have taken down 11 websites for downloading illegal programs. Last year, the association removed 15 Internet addresses.

For ten years, ABES has monitored the internet for links to download copyrighted software belonging to its members. Both the website hosting the links and their ISPs are notified to remove the content. If pirated programs remain available, they are then prosecuted, based on current legislation.

Legal Entrepreneur

The ABES initiative “Empreendedor Legal”, which encourages the use of licensed software in the corporate environment, completed a year on April 26, World Intellectual Property Day. In a year of activities, the program held 12 awareness events and information campaigns on the use of legal software in the cities of Salvador (BA), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), São Paulo (SP), Barueri (SP) and Jaraguá do Sul (SC).

In addition to events and campaigns, ABES celebrates 23 thousand accesses to the portal Legal Entrepreneur Channel created especially for the initiative. The site has content about the importance of using legal software and the consequences of using pirated products. Also according to the organization, 34 thousand reports of outbreaks of piracy were brought to justice through the website Anonymous Reporting Against Software Piracy, which has an access link from Legal Entrepreneur Channel.

The ABES initiative is supported by Apex-Brasil; Brazilian Association of Intellectual Property (ABPI); BSA - The Software Alliance; National Conference on Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC); National Council to Combat Piracy (CNCP); Brazilian Institute of Competitive Ethics (ETCO); Competitive Brazil Movement (MBC) and the Brazilian Small and Micro Enterprise Support Service (Sebrae).

With information from the press office of ABES