In continuation of its campaign against companies and individuals indulging in software piracy, the UAE has turned its attention to training centers using pirated software. The authorities recently raided a training center in Sharjah and seized 70 PCs uploaded with pirated software.
The raid was conducted by the Sharjah Police in association with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Information.
According to the annual BSA (Business Software Alliance) report, the UAE has been able to lower software piracy to a record 34 per cent, the lowest in the region.
Scott Butler, CEO of Arabian Antipiracy Alliance (AAA) said: "The UAE authorities are continuing their campaign against the individuals and institutions that are violating the statues of IPR in the country. The latest raid should serve as a warning to all those indulging in piracy and should convey the message that the UAE will not tolerate violations of intellectual property rights. The UAE has made excellent progress in piracy reduction by adopting
stringent IPR laws and insisting that all users display evidence of using original software."
"As a result of the effective anti-piracy campaigns, there has been a boost to investment in IT, and a large number of international companies have been motivated to set up headquarters in the UAE in order to manage their operations in the Middle East," added Butler. "These developments will
contribute in combating software piracy more aggressively."
"Piracy can have a strong negative impact on the economy in general and IT sector in particular," said Butler. "Globally, the IT sector is losing millions of dollars each year because of software piracy. This leads to
economic stagnation and job losses in the IT sector. It is therefore in the interest of all segments to join the war on piracy by avoiding the use of pirated software." (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
