Monday, August 9, 1999
Israel to be fined $150 million for software piracy
By Avi Blizovsky, Ha'aretz Correspondent
The United States is planning to impose $150 million in sanctions against Israel to protest the state's widespread abuse of software copyrights in Israel.
The chair and CEO of Aladdin Knowledge Systems, Yaakov Margalit, says that the problem of unauthorized copying of software must be addressed on three levels: education against stealing software, enforcement of copyright law and protection against piracy. "This is the only way to prevent counterfeit software and the theft of content," he adds.
"Israel is a country that cannot afford to lead the Western world in stealing software. As one of the leading Western countries in the field of high-tech, Israel should serve as an example for the Western world," Margalit says.
Margalit complains that Israelis still regard hackers as heroes and software theft as a sport. "As soon as people in Israel realize that this is really stealing, the phenomenon will stop," he says. "We have to start educating children at an early age that stealing software is forbidden, just as stealing a car is."
"On the other hand, companies must realize that leaving software unprotected is as irresponsible as leaving a house or a car unlocked. All software should have high-quality protection that cannot be cracked," Margalit concludes. Aladdin Knowledge Systems, based in Tel Aviv, is a leading creator of software security and content control products.
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