Local authorities carry out anti-piracy raids against two IT resellers in Ajman in coordination with Microsoft Gulf

Microsoft, initiating the raids in its capacity as a member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), has been closely monitoring the resellers following reports that they were installing illegal versions of MS Office 2007 and Windows XP on computers sold to customers. The raids resulted in the confiscation of two PCs loaded with pirated versions of Windows XP and Microsoft Office, along with several CDs containing illegally copied Microsoft programs.

The ongoing campaign involving Microsoft, BSA, the international association established by the software industry to promote a safe and legal digital world, and local authorities in the UAE, is part of a drive towards removing unlicensed installations of Microsoft programs in the UAE, where a Madar Research report reveals that PC sales are growing at a compound average growth rate of around 12%, one of the highest in the Middle East. At this rate, PC penetration in the country will be 27% higher than the world average by 2008.

"Our nationwide anti-piracy campaigns are in line with the UAE's strong commitment to create a piracy-free environment. To effectively tackle the menace of piracy, we require the sincere efforts of the business sector and end users, who need to take a conscious decision to not use pirated software and report any violation of intellectual property rights," said Jawad Al Redha, IPR Manager, Microsoft Gulf.

The UAE leads the Middle East in intellectual property rights and copyright protection, currently placing 29th in the world rankings of IPR protection. According to global research firm IDC, the country enjoys a software piracy rate of 35 per cent, far below the 57 per cent average of the Middle East and North Aftrica region. UAE law strictly requires software users to keep evidence of the originality of the software they buy and use.