The Kuwaiti authorities have begun stringent procedures against parties and people who are trading or using illegal software programs. The Ministry of Information in Kuwait has recently conducted a raid campaign against four companies using illegal software, which resulted in the seizing of 53 PCs that had downloaded illegal programs like Windows XP, Office 97 and 2000, Norton Antivirus 2001, Windows 98, Oracle, AutoCAD and Photoshop PRO.
The campaign comes in view of the commitment of the Ministry to encourage the use of legal software and to protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Kuwait. These raids are part of the efforts exerted by the Kuwaiti authorities in cooperation with Information Technology (IT) companies that produce original software and Business Software Alliance (BSA) aimed at providing an added impetus to the software industry in Kuwait.
This move will also play a vital role in creating a healthy climate for foreign investment in the Kuwait IT market and to achieve higher growth rates, according to a BSA press release. "The Ministry of Information is committed to supporting IPR and is using stringent measures to implement various IPR laws.”
“This campaign arises from the awareness of the negative consequences of software piracy, which is responsible for creating an unstable situation in the economic cycle and other sectors in the country," said Mohammed Al-Dallal, Al-Khebra Legal Consultants and Lawyers.
"These raids are evidence that Kuwait will not allow the occurrence of IPR violations. It serves as a warning to all parties that do not respect IPR laws that the Kuwaiti government considers piracy of software or any type of violation a crime that is punishable by law."
The Ministry of Information in Kuwait is intensifying its public awareness campaign in all the sectors to emphasize the importance of IPR and intellectual production in Kuwait. It is working on highlighting the legislation that prohibits companies from using any illegal software program in the applications that are adopted by the user.
Kuwait is one of the few countries in the Middle East to witness a significant drop in the use of illegal software. A study conducted by a leading international market research company indicates that the IT sector in Kuwait is expected to grow from $400 million to $712 million by the year 2006, if the concerted campaign against piracy continues to bring down the software piracy rates from the existing 76 percent to 66 percent in the near future.
"This study contributes towards enhancing the awareness of using original software programs, in keeping with the IPR law of Kuwait that also penalizes end-users," added Al-Dallal.
The responsibility of combating the usage of illegal software is a joint one, say IT experts, which involve parties trading in such programs, as well as consumers and distributors. Cooperation is imperative to effectively face these dangerous actions.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is an international organization representing leading software and e-commerce developers in 65 countries around the world. Established in 1988, BSA has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.
As the voice of the software industry, BSA helps governments and consumers understand how software strengthens the economy, worker productivity and global development and how its further expansion hinges on the successful fight against software piracy and Internet theft. BSA's efforts include educating computer users about software copyrights; advocating public policy that fosters innovation and expands trade opportunities; and fighting software piracy. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
