Normal e-tailer security and records could ultimately hamper the online sale of pirated goods, says online auction site Bidorbuy.
While the sale of pirated goods is a massive global problem and the Internet offers fraudsters a possible "retail outlet", reputable online retailers can track piracy and prosecute those responsible, says Bidorbuy MD Andy Higgins.
"With the rapid growth and uptake of this medium locally, protection of intellectual property on the Internet has become an increasingly urgent issue," says Higgins.
However, he notes that because reputable e-tailers and online marketplaces usually keep records of all transactions and full details of those who advertise goods for sale, this makes them easy to trace and prosecute.
Bidorbuy carries about 30 000 advertisements a month, Higgins says, so it is virtually impossible for the company to identify any pirated or illegal goods offered for sale.
However, Bidorbuy collaborates with other organisations such as the police, Southern African Federation against Copyright Theft (SAFACT), the Business Software Alliance and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to counter the sale of pirated and illegal goods.
"In three cases, ICASA contacted us about illegal two-way radios being offered for sale on the site. In other cases, the police have notified us about pornography being offered and SAFACT notified us about pirated DVDs," says Higgins. "With the help of our records, prosecutions can take place. We also blacklist any advertisers who have been found to be selling pirated or illegal goods."
The number of transactions taking place on Bidorbuy has more than doubled this year, says Higgins, so the incidence of pirated and illegal goods being offered for sale has increased accordingly. "But proportionally, we are not seeing an increase," he says.
"It`s all traceable when trading online, so I think there will be less of this, rather than more."
"When considering that the film industry loses approximately R200 million per annum through piracy, the agreement with Bidorbuy is an important step forward in our continuous fight against this crime," says SAFACT GM Fred Potgieter.
The Internet is the greatest threat to the software industry in the US and Europe, says Potgieter. "As such we should prepare for this trend locally."
He challenged other e-tailers and online marketplaces to collaborate with industry bodies to help curb the sale of pirated goods online.
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