UAE Ministry Of Economy Coordinates Successful End-user Raid In Abu Dhabi

Raid results in confiscation of PCs

The UAE Ministry of Economy (MoE) recently collaborated with the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the leading global organisation that is the voice of the global commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace, to carry out a successful end-user raid on an Abu Dhabi-based company in the construction sector. The raid resulted in the confiscation of computers loaded with unlicensed software belonging to members of the BSA. A criminal investigation is ongoing and it is understood that the BSA is also considering formal civil proceedings on behalf of its members for damages.

“End-user raids such as these will send a strong message to commercial companies that the government is taking stringent measures against violators of intellectual property rights. The Ministry of Economy has been coordinating closely with various members of the BSA to conduct software piracy raids at various levels to boost confidence in the local market and to develop a culture of research and development. This will lead to innovation and creativity that in return will contribute to the all round economic progress of the nation,” said Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Alshihhi, MoE Director General.

Alshihhi assured that the Ministry of Economy will intensify its efforts to overcome the obstacles and challenges resulting from software piracy by implementing the strict laws in order to protect the competitiveness of the national economy and strengthen the country’s position as a safe and trusted investment destination. Alshihhi stressed that the ministry will continue cooperation with the various government authorities in its efforts to combat piracy and protect intellectual property rights by implementing the intellectual property law, copyright laws and other laws pertaining to brand protection, while also supporting the initiative launched by the ministry in this regard.

“The Ministry of Economy has had several achievements in its efforts to fight piracy in the UAE by launching extensive campaigns and raids which have led to the arrest of hundreds of offenders through its offices across the country and in collaboration with various authorities and departments that support the ministry’s goals. The UAE is currently one of the top 20 countries in the world with regard to protection of intellectual property rights and anti-piracy efforts. In addition, the country is ranked first in the Arab World in this area. The UAE’s intellectual property law is extremely stringent and is one of the best internationally,” said Alshihhi.

“In addition to conducting raids and imposing stricter control on the markets, the ministry focuses on creating more awareness as well. It recently launched the national campaign to protect intellectual property in order to raise public awareness about the importance of protecting intellectual property rights, copyright and related rights, and to educate the community and organisations about the risks and detrimental impact of piracy on the economy and the society as a whole,” concluded Alshihhi.

“Fighting software piracy requires concerted efforts by the rights holders, the reseller channel, the government and the consumers. It is imperative that the consumers of commercial software fully understand the detrimental effects of using unlicensed software within their company. This includes the negative impact on their own organisations, such as the legal risks, the risks to reputation and the risks to the security of company data; and the negative economic impact that piracy has on the entire local economy. We fully support the efforts of the Ministry of Economy in protecting intellectual property rights across the UAE,” concluded Jawad Al Redha, BSA Co-Chairman in the Gulf region.
 

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