Business | Technology
Piracy remains a concern in Oman, Microsoft says
A Microsoft official said software piracy in Oman is very high but the government is taking steps to counter it.
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 23:41 November 15, 2008
Muscat: A Microsoft official said software piracy in Oman is very high but the government is taking steps to counter it.
"The piracy rate is very high in Oman," Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Microsoft's Oman country manager, told Gulf News on Saturday on the sidelines of the launch in Oman of a suite of next-generation technology offerings.
These include the company's much awaited virtualisation solutions - Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and System Centre Virtual Machine Manager 2008.
Lootah, however, praised government efforts in combating the menace.
"The government is doing something," he said, adding that unlike in the past now there are lawsuits for breach of intellectual property rights in Oman.
"The government has even closed down shops for selling pirated software here in Mucsat," he said.
"The losses to the industry and governments are in the billions compared to the small savings that people make by taking up pirated software."
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