Deemed as Manila’s little Hongkong. this 16-hectare shopping complex has perpetually been a much loved destination for bargain-hunting shoppers rummaging around for an assortment of retail items. Housing almost 1,400 mini-stores and more than 2,000 merchants that offer food, clothing, jewelry, computers, cellular phones and other techie gadgets, this huge discount shopping center attracts the entire market spectrum with its diversity of product selections.
Maintaining its old and enduring reputation as a technology hub, computer and cellular phone shops survive and thrive in various malls inside the complex, specifically in: V-Mall, Shopsville Plus!, Theater Mall, and in Bridgeway Shops. Gadgets and software programs are sold like “tiangge” items. Being marked up at low prices, the desired items can further be bargained at much lower prices if the purchaser has persuasion prowess and charm. At such prices, technology is thus made accessible to a wider segment of society. Likewise, the availability or supply of almost all the products released in the country (as well as those yet to be released) provides the consumer with much option and less chances of incurring product dissonance.
Maintaining its old and enduring reputation as a technology hub, computer and cellular phone shops survive and thrive in various malls inside the complex, specifically in: V-Mall, Shopsville Plus!, Theater Mall, and in Bridgeway Shops. Gadgets and software programs are sold like “tiangge” items. Being marked up at low prices, the desired items can further be bargained at much lower prices if the purchaser has persuasion prowess and charm. At such prices, technology is thus made accessible to a wider segment of society. Likewise, the availability or supply of almost all the products released in the country (as well as those yet to be released) provides the consumer with much option and less chances of incurring product dissonance.
Simply put: (you) name it, they got it- including piracy.
Despite the recent redevelopment of GSC in an attempt to solidify its position as the No.1 retail area for value shopping and further increase its market share, one would still hear the immortal lines, "Boss, dibidi...Boss, dibidi" time and again when shopping or strolling. There may be no more visible stalls from where they can be seen but hawkers still lurk around. Worse, probably due to intense competition, some stores are constrained to do “hard disk loading” software piracy to attract customers. Indeed, raid and enforcement actions within the complex have become a common episode.
Thus, it is of no surprise that PC software piracy level in Philippines remained at 69% in 2008. The fact that the rate of software piracy in the Philippines has stayed the same and losses in the industry continued to escalate, makes the current educational and enforcement efforts by the government (through the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT)) and the private sector (such as the Business Software Alliance) even more vital.
Interestingly, IP Philippines aims to take out the country from the U.S. Trade Representative Special 301 Watch List of I.P.R. violators before 2010. That might be uncertain to happen. What is certain, is that this blog would still be relevant after 2010.
1 comment:
That's true. Whenever I stroll through there, I always encounter those dvd boys. However, the issue of software piracy is more complex such that the if there is no piracy, no one could afford the software. Maybe efforts should also be done to make them more affordable.
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