BSA commends 25 software dealers in the UAE for signing Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics, drafted by BSA, lays down that the signatories would 'neither commit or tolerate the manufacture or use of distribution of unlicensed software' and 'would only supply licensed software to customers.'

The 25 software dealers that signed the Code of Ethics were presented with certificates by Mr. Juma Al Leem, Director of Ministry of Information for Northern Emirates at a recent ceremony hosted by BSA in Dubai.

"The UAE government has demonstrated strong commitment to the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) by introducing legislation and following it up with concrete action against offenders. This has led to considerable reduction in software piracy and boosted the confidence of global software developers to make investments in the region's software industry. Further, the rapid growth in the regional software industry, which is investing in Arabic software solutions to meet local requirements, has contributed to a greater awareness of the benefits of using original software," said Al Leem.

"However, these developments need to be supported by consistent efforts to eradicate software piracy in the region. BSA's efforts in this direction have already brought commendable results. By signing the Code of Ethics, the software dealers have set an example that will percolate down to the end-users who will thus have a new perspective on software piracy. I am confident that the combined efforts of the government, organisations like BSA and dealers and distributors will ultimately ensure the end of piracy," added Al Leem.

Over the past few years, software piracy has decreased considerably in most countries of the region, according to a recent BSA study. UAE leads the countries that have successfully countered the piracy threat by registering a 36-point drop in piracy rates. Spurred by this success, BSA has stepped up its anti-piracy campaign, of which the Code of Ethics is the latest effort.

"The signing of the Code of Ethics by software dealers in the UAE is an extremely important development for the IT market in the country, as well as in the rest of the Middle East. It shows that software dealers are willing to publicly declare their commitment to selling original software. It also marks their acceptance of the role of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in promoting research and development within the software industry," said Jawad Al Redha, Co-chairman, BSA Middle East. "The dealers have now visibly underscored their commitment to the protection of IPR and to the further growth of the regional IT industry."

"The signing of the Code of Ethics by the dealers in the UAE, reflects the industry's professionals willingness to follow ethical practices and indirectly isolate those encouraging piracy. With dealers willing to educate end-users on the benefits of investing in original licensed software, the pirate will find it difficult to swim against the current and will have to curtail his activities", concluded Al Redha.