The UAE authorities have intensified their campaign to protect the country's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) laws, which seek to control the distribution and use of illegal software among individuals and companies. In this regard, the authorities recently conducted raids on two computer companies in Dubai, resulting in the confiscation of 4 computers and 55 CDs loaded with pirated software, including Windows XP, Microsoft Office and Norton Anti-Virus. In this connection, one person was arrested on charges of violating the UAE`s IPR and copyright laws.
The campaign against software piracy is part of the larger effort by the UAE authorities to promote a safe digital environment to support the local software industry and to encourage global software developers to invest in the country. As part of this endeavor, the authorities have regularly been conducting awareness campaigns targeted at traders, distributors and end-users, which highlight the detrimental effects of using pirated software, such as poor PC performance, lack of reliability, data security compromised, reduced productivity as well as reduced IT investments.
"The latest raids reflect the commitment of the UAE authorities to safeguard the integrity of the IPR laws," said Scott Butler, CEO of Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA). "The UAE's determined campaign against piracy has helped improve its standing in the international digital society. As a result, the country has attracted considerable investor attention, with many leading software companies setting up their development facilities and regional headquarters in the UAE. The UAE's strong anti-piracy stance has also helped support the growth of the local IT industry. These factors have combined to help diversify the country's economic activities, raise employment opportunities and accelerate economic growth."
The raids closely follow the release of the annual report of Business Software Alliance (BSA), the organization that represents the interests of global software developers, which listed the UAE as the most successful of all Middle East and North Africa countries in terms of limiting software piracy. The UAE has recorded the lowest piracy rate in the region, thereby further enhancing its credibility in the international economic system.
"The UAE has already achieved admirable results in protecting IPR laws, and we are looking forward to further boost our cooperation with the country's authorities to step up the anti-piracy campaign. We would like to express our appreciation for the concerned authorities for the positive steps they have taken to restrict software piracy. We call upon countries elsewhere in the region to take similar measures to effectively tackle the menace of software piracy," Butler said.
Recent studies and reports have indicated that the distribution and use of illegal software hamper the growth of the global IT sector. As a result, IT companies are forced to reduce their investments in nations with high piracy rates, leading to reduced employment opportunities and slow-paced economic growth in such countries.
