In its concerted efforts to clamp down on software pirates and violators of copyright laws, the Kuwaiti ministry of information recently raided two resellers in Kuwait City and seized three PCs loaded with unauthorized software programs of leading software manufacturers.
The raid was conducted in coordination with the original software manufacturers and the Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA). “Software pirates have been on the run over the past few months, after we intensified our campaign against the violators of copyright laws,” said Scott Butler, CEO of AAA.
“The latest raid was conducted after keeping a sustained vigil on the offenders. The blatant manner in which the resellers were loading unauthorized software is a serious offence and by penalizing these offenders we are conveying a strong message to software pirates that these violations will not be tolerated in Kuwait.”
“Due to the easy manner in which software can be copied, it has become imperative to keep a constant vigil on the market and identified offenders. This can be done only through joint efforts of the affected parties and government bodies,” he added.
“We are more than happy to be part of this anti-software piracy campaign, because it not only helps to eradicate a major business crime but restores confidence among software manufacturers. In the long run, we are confident of attracting more reputed software players to help raise the Information Technology (IT) standards in Kuwait and also commit investments in the local market.”
Butler lauded the commitment shown by Kuwait in orchestrating a strong campaign against software pirates. “The seriousness with which the Kuwaiti authorities have approached the issue complements our strategies to safeguard the interests of software manufacturers. Raids conducted by Governments are the effective way of combating this dangerous activity. Apart from putting software pirates on the run, the tough government actions creates a wider awareness among consumers about the dangers of buying and loading illegal software.”
Kuwait has been one of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states strongly in favor of implementing
anti software piracy laws and was among the first to carry out raids on violators of copyright laws. As a result of its tough stand, incidences of software piracy have come down drastically in Kuwait and software manufacturers are confident that piracy would be a rarity due to the sustained efforts of the Kuwaiti authorities.
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)
