After Morocco released positive figures on technological piracy rates, Nadia Ben Bahtane, the spokesperson of the North African Business Software Alliance (BSA), responded to an international study of 86 countries that claims that piracy has reached 84% in Algeria. Internationally, piracy is thought to cost software companies US$ 30 billion annually. Bahtane conceded that in Algeria alone the loss to software companies is US$ 58 million.
Under international pressure, the National Algerian Office of Author Rights together with the North African Business Software Alliance (BSA) have signed a memorandum of understanding and mutual collaboration to fight piracy. BSA works to protect author rights and therefore has an interest to be active in the campaign against piracy.
BSA will certain cover costs for the National Algerian Office implementing intellectual property rights. According to the agreements, this is only a first step to reverse the parlous intellectual property rights in the country. (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
