Oman to launch fresh initiatives against Intellectual Property Rights violations in the year 2004

The announcement was made by Mr. Khalid Al Ghassani, General Manger, Directorate of Culture in the ministry, who reiterated his Government's commitment to the eradication of software piracy from the Sultanate of Oman, and called upon Business Software Alliance (BSA) to step-up its efforts for heightening IPR awareness in the Middle East.

"Omanis have a rich cultural heritage and understand the need for the protection of intellectual property rights," said His Highness Sayed Haitham Bin Tareq, Minister of Heritage and Culture, Oman. "The Sultani Decree 37/00 of June 2000 is a comprehensive legislation against IPR violation. The legislation has been further supported by consistent IPR awareness campaigns organized by the Omani government and BSA. The fresh initiatives to be launched by the ministry of Heritage and Culture will further re-enforce the cause of IPR amongst the country's youth, placing them in the vanguard of the movement to eradicate violations."

"Software piracy rates in the Sultanate of Oman have been gradually decreasing. This has been possible due to clearly stated Copyright Laws, a definite and strong will to implement the laws and the support of organizations such as BSA that has contributed to increased awareness amongst the distributors, resellers and users alike about the crucial importance of IPR protection to the growth of a country's IT economy" said Al Ghassani.

"The existing legislation provides adequate protection for IPR in Oman. The Omani Copyright Laws specifically prohibit infringement of IPR in the computer software and database industry," added Al Ghassani. "The reproduction without permission and use without requisite license of original software is an offence under the Sultani Decree 37/00 of June 2000. Our commitment to the implementation of this decree is absolute and we are in the process of drafting a series of new strategies to effectively counter the challenge of software piracy in the country."

Commending the efforts of the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Culture in the movement to curb IPR violations in the Middle East, Jawad Al Redha, Co-Chairman, Middle East, Business Software Alliance said, "The explicit support of the Omani government has been invaluable in our campaign to spread awareness about the negative effects of IPR violations on a country's economy. Besides a loss of revenue to the industry and the government, IPR violations suffocate research and development (R&D), effectively ensuring that the regions where software piracy is high do not receive the benefits of cutting-edge software innovations coming out of the global R&D labs."

"The combined strength of the Omani government's commitment to IPR protection and BSA's awareness campaigns, resulted in major victories for IPR in the country," added Al Redha. "The signing of BSA's code of ethics by software distributors and resellers on Oman was an important indication that the country is heading towards an era, where software piracy will become a rare exception. We look forward to 2004, and the continued support of the government in Oman."