Is the Announced PAPT Raid a Hoax?

The different forums frequented by Philippine i-café owners are awash with posts and comments ranging from fear to doubts as to the accuracy of reports announcing the inspection and/or raids to be done by Pilipinas Ant-Piracy Team (PAPT) regarding software piracy.  PAPT had  started sending out letters to businesses operating in different areas in Luzon, reminding them to check their use of software and make sure that they are compliant with the software copyright laws. Some i-café owners in the forums admitted having received the warning letter.

Some i-café owners even admitted in the forums that they do use pirated or cracked software and they seem to be in the majority. No matter what, it is this group of i-café owners who must be in real fear though  they say that the announced inspection is a hoax. They mentioned situations like it was supposed to have started last March 17 in Northern and Central Luzon and March 30 in Southern Luzon but it did not happened.

To the above, I say that the enforcing agencies seem really serious this time in implementing the Intellectual Property Law. Businesses including i-cafés have no option but to comply with the law which provide that successful prosecution of copyright violation carries up to nine years imprisonment and a fine of up to 1.5 million pesos. Also, these agencies would not allow you to know the exact date of the raid. They will do it at a time you least expect.