Qatar Authorities step-up campaign against companies using or trading pirated software

In this regard, a successful raid was recently conducted in coordination with the Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA) and the Qatar Ministry of Economy and Trade, which resulted in the confiscation of 3 hard disks and 397 CDs loaded with pirated versions of software such as, 'Windows XP', 'Office XP 2003', 'Norton Anti-Virus', 'Adobe Photoshop' and 'AutoCad'.

Abdul Rahman Al Mutawa'a, researcher at the copyright and intellectual property right protection desk in the Qatar Ministry of Economy and Trade said:

"Qatar is stepping up its efforts to curb the trade of pirated software, which will in turn benefit the growth of the national economy and attract foreign investments in the IT industry. We are committed to coordinate with the various government and private organisations to raise awareness and educate the public about the importance of respecting IPR laws. The latest raids are a clear proof that Qatar authorities will not tolerate any breaches in IPR laws, and this is a warning to all the parties involved in the trade or use of pirated software. The government of Qatar considers infringement of IPR laws a crime, and there will be legal action taken against any offender."

Scott Butler, CEO Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance, said: "The concerned authorities in Qatar are taking all the necessary measures to combat the menace of software piracy. The recent raids reflect our tough stand on IPR violators, be it individuals or corporates. The government of Qatar has formulated a set of strict laws that take stringent actions against violators, which is a reflection of the government's commitment to protect the national economy in general and the IT sector in particular. In addition, they are encouraging creativity and trying to provide job opportunities, while creating a safe and legal digital environment that attracts foreign investments to the country."

"The unfavourable impacts of software piracy are not only felt by the users but are also affecting software development companies on the local and international scale. Every year the IT sector suffers losses to the tune of millions of dollars, which forces these companies to maintain the high prices for their products to offset the losses, while reducing the budgets for research and development," he added.

The AAA constantly launches awareness campaigns aimed at educating and informing the traders and users about the detrimental effects of software piracy. These campaigns target the general public, government and private sector companies as well as computer resellers. The campaigns also present the advantages of using original software in terms of technical support, getting the latest updates, improving the performance of computers, greater security of stored data, as well as the positive impact on the national economies.