Compared to other Asian countries, Singapore’s software piracy rate is relatively low, but the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an industry group created to battle software piracy, wants to see it driven even lower.

In a boost to the BSA’s antipiracy efforts, Singapore’s police earlier this year raided an interior design company, PDM International, that was later convicted in court and fined for using pirated software. Bringing that landmark case to a close, PDM International last week reached a civil settlement with the BSA.

Tarun Sawney, director of the BSA’s antipiracy activities in Asia-Pacific, is a former police officer charged with leading the group’s fight against software pirates. He recently sat down with IDG News Service at the BSA’s Singapore office to discuss the problem of software piracy in the region and the need for continued tough enforcement by police.

IDG News Service: How bad is the software piracy situation in Singapore?

Tarun Sawney: That depends. Do you see Singapore as a first-world nation or a typical Asian nation? If you measure it by Asian standards, the piracy rate here is 40 percent while the average for Asia is 54 percent. It’s significantly less. So, you’d say that’s pretty good; it’s below the regional average.

But if you compare Singapore to Japan, the piracy rate in Japan is 28 percent, significantly less than the 40 percent over here. In Australia, it’s 31 percent. In New Zealand, it’s 23 percent—almost half the rate over here. Yes, the piracy rate in Singapore is low by Asian standards, but compared to other developed nations it’s fairly high.

IDG: Has Singapore’s toughened Copyright Act, enacted last year, helped cut down on software piracy?

Sawney: Credit where it’s due. This law has definitely had an impact. The piracy rate in Singapore was 43 percent in 2003; now it’s 40 percent. ... We believe that’s down due to the law. The police so far have had just one high-profile case, and it’s had some impact, we believe, on the piracy rate. So, yes, the law has begun to have an impact. There’s no doubt about that.

For the impact to be more broad-based, there have to be more police actions. It’s got to constantly be in the media, people reading about it. The biggest challenge that we face is changing the mind-set. There’s a perception that it’s OK, these are rich companies; it’s not harming anybody. The fact is these people are breaking a criminal law.

IDG: Do you see police actions, such as the PDM International case, serving an educational purpose?