Business Software Alliance (BSA) joins hands with Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) to promote the usage of legal software

BSA is the world's leading organization dedicated to the promotion of a safe and legal digital world. Since its establishment in 1988, BSA's top priorities include enhancing trust and security in cyberspace, promoting strong policies for intellectual property protection and free trade, and educating the public about sound software management practices.

"Our activities in the Middle East region are aimed at educating public and business establishments about the benefits of using original software. By extending our honorary membership to DSO, which will host some of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers and designers, we are targeting a piracy free software industry in the region. We are working closely with several prominent organisations such as DSO to advocate strong intellectual property protection, increased security measures, reduction of trade barriers, liberal use of encryption technology and other policies to enhance and facilitate the continued success of the software industry," said Jawad Al Redha, Co-Chairman, Middle East, Business Software Alliance.

"Led by the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA) and backed by the power and resources of some of the most savvy investors and creators worldwide, DSO intends to create and nurture the world's most attractive and competitive manufacturing park for the semiconductor industry," said Dr. Eesa M. Bastaki, Director, Education, Research & Development, Dubai Silicon Oasis. "By joining hands with BSA, DSO plans to play a supporting role to boost the latter's ongoing efforts towards educating enterprise and individual users about Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and advocating public policy that fosters innovation and expands trade opportunities," added Dr Bastaki.

"The extent of software piracy in the Middle East has been declining over the past few years and today stands at less than 50 per cent. Protection to legal software in the UAE has been comparatively high; it is now at the forefront of countries in the Arab world having the least piracy rates, for the seventh consecutive year, even surpassing six European countries and Canada in this regard. With constant support from all our members, we are aiming at further reduction of piracy levels," concluded Al Redha.