Business | Technology
Microsoft Gulf conducts raids on two illegal IT resellers in Ajman
Microsoft Gulf in collaboration with the Ajman authorities conducted raids against IT resellers selling unlicenced Microsoft software in the emirate.
- By Naushad K. Cherrayil, Senior Sub-Editor
- Published: 00:27 May 5, 2008
Dubai: Microsoft Gulf in collaboration with the Ajman authorities conducted raids against IT resellers selling unlicenced Microsoft software in the emirate.
Microsoft, initiating the twin raids in its capacity as a member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), had 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 authorities confiscated two PCs loaded with pirated versions of Windows XP and Microsoft Office, along with several CDs containing pirated Microsoft programs.
"Six raids have been conducted in the UAE by the authorities in the past few months, involving mostly pirated Microsoft products," said Jawad Al Redha, IPR manager, Microsoft Gulf. Microsoft has successfully worked with the UAE government to promote the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) and to create awareness of how software piracy hurts the local economy.
"The UAE model is a good example for the other Arab countries and this is the 11th year in which the country is ranked lowest in the region as the piracy rate stands at 35 per cent. Insha Allah, this year we expect the rate to fall further," Al Redha said.
"We expect more changes in the laws among the Arab countries since the technology is growing day by day. BSA is pleased with the efforts by regional governments, legislators and enforcement agencies, but they still have a long way to go," he said.
IDC estimates that if piracy rates were reduced by just 10 percentage points in the Middle East, the region as a whole could see the ICT sector grow substantially more than 64 per cent with $3.44 billion in additional revenue, 24,000 more jobs, and nearly $600 million in additional tax revenue over four years.
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