Stick to “SAY NO! TO PIRACY”

Singapore, Thursday June 24, 2004 – The next time you buy a CD, computer software, or even a DVD, look out for an eye-catching green, orange and purple “SAY NO! TO PIRACY” sticker on the cover.
From Saturday, June 26, consumers will find the “SAY NO! TO PIRACY” stickers appearing in shops and businesses throughout Singapore, urging consumers to go get the ‘real deal’. About 200,000 “SAY NO! TO PIRACY” stickers will be out in the market. Although it is not a symbol of authenticity for legitimate products, it definitely represents the firm commitment of both the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the creative industry to raise Intellectual Property (IP) awareness among Singaporeans.

Ms Liew Woon Yin, Director-General of IPOS commented that saying no to piracy with stickers was an expedient way to spread the pro-IP message and help support the growth of Singapore’s fast moving knowledge intensive and creative industries.

“We are very pleased to have the support of so many associations and industry players for this movement. Singapore is making bold strides and investing heavily in our own creative industries. To ensure growth, we need to have a culture that respects and rewards creativity, originality and IP. Everyone of us has a part to play in making Singapore an IP haven. This sticker initiative, with its wide adoption by our industry partners demonstrates our strong commitment to foster and protect new ideas and innovation here. We urge all Singaporeans to join us and say no to piracy,” she remarked.

Businesses participating in this initiative include the HIP (Honour Intellectual Property) Alliance members, namely Microsoft, Nokia, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Recording Industry Association (Singapore) (RIAS) and other IP champions such as Adobe, Autodesk, Macromedia and Symantec.

In the coming months, with the assistance of industry partners, IPOS will be stepping up efforts to educate businesses and consumers on piracy issues and IP. All these efforts will go towards enhancing Singapore’s reputation as an “IP safe” country in the region and a compelling location for investments.

For media enquiry, please contact:

Ms Jennifer Chen
Assistant Director
Media & Marketing Communications
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: (65) 6331 6548
HP: (65) 9369 1839
Fax: (65) 6331 6562
Email: Jennifer_CHEN@ipos.gov.sg

About IPOS
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore or IPOS is the lead government agency that formulates and regulates Intellectual Property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the greater development of IP in Singapore. With IP fast becoming a critical resource in today’s new economy, IPOS’ vision is to foster a creative Singapore where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. Formerly known as the Registry of Trade Marks and Patents, IPOS was established as a statutory board of the Ministry of Law on 1 April 2001. More information on IPOS can be found on www.ipos.gov.sg.

About HIP
HIP stands for Honour Intellectual Property. It is IPOS’ key educational initiative to encourage innovation and creativity in Singapore, with strong support from the private sector, public sector and industry associations. HIP aims to promote a positive attitude towards IP and encourages a Pro-IP lifestyle for everyone to ‘Be Creative, Be Original, and Be HIP’. With support from the HIP Alliance members, IPOS intends to motivate the Singapore community to join together to “SAY NO! TO PIRACY” and support legitimate businesses that create legitimate products and services to make Singapore an IP safe country.

Current HIP Alliance Members include:

Business Software Alliance (BSA)
Composers and Authors Society of Singapore Ltd (COMPASS)
Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore Limited (CLASS)
Electronic Arts Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (EA)
Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS)
International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC)
Microsoft Singapore Pte Ltd
Ministry of Education (MOE)
Motion Picture Association (MPA)
Music Publishers (Singapore) Ltd (MPS)
Nokia Pte Ltd
Recording Industry Association (Singapore) (RIAS)
Singapore Police Force (Intellectual Property Rights Branch)