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UAE steps up campaign against pirated webcasts

The UAE Ministry of Economy (MoE) has announced that it has stepped up efforts to stop websites that offer pirated television broadcasts and against the illegal import of satellite decoder boxes.

  • By Scott Shuey, Chief Business Reporter and Hind Al Yousef, Community Journalist
  • Published: 00:13 October 3, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Economy (MoE) has announced that it has stepped up efforts to stop websites that offer pirated television broadcasts and against the illegal import of satellite decoder boxes.

According to a press release from the MoE, its latest anti-piracy initiative, which began during the Euro 2008 football championship in June, immediately led to the identification and disruption of 10 Korean-based internet addresses, which where broadcasting the copyrighted games.

"We received information that illegal operators were broadcasting Euro 2008 matches and other programmes unsubscribed over the internet, and promptly co-ordinated with enforcement authorities to conduct a raid. We were able to identify 10 foreign internet links and immediately ordered the disruption of connections to these addresses," a Ministry official said.

The press release did not say whether the raids occurred in South Korea or in the UAE.

Television shows are often broadcast legally over the internet. The BBC and several networks in the US offer their shows in this format, often in an effort to increase viewership.

Opportunity

"It allows people to the opportunity to watch when they want," said Dan Healy, CEO of Real Opinions, a Dubai-based company that researches Internet issues.

"This is a legitimate use of the technology to expand viewership."

The television networks see revenue from selling product placements and advertisements embedded into the videos. These videos aren't available globally, however. Many websites restrict viewership to geographical areas. Hulu.com, a website that offer legal full-length television shows from major US networks, limits its viewership to people in the US.

However, some websites offer videos illegally, often in violation of copyright laws, for a premium. The issue is not regional, but a growing problem globally, Healy said. While he did not condone the conduct, he said the illegal internet broadcasts would appeal to individuals in the UAE who could not find the programmes they wanted broadcast locally, or did not want to purchase long-term services just to watch weekend-long events.

"If the local market would offer different options and content, then people wouldn't be proactive in searching out these programmes on the internet," he said.

The MoE is also cracking down on a second type of illegal television that comes into the country via satellite. It is targeting illegally-imported boxes that decode satellite signals. These signals are not broadcast directly to the UAE, but are meant for countries in other parts of the world, sometimes as far away as sub-Saharan Africa.

A love for the Internet

A fast-paced life, long hours at the office and maximum time spent in front of the computer screen describes the work pattern of most people today.

In the midst of it all, people try hard to keep up with all the latest news, be it sports or about a favourite television show.

As the comfortable couch, a bowl of crisps and television are not usually at hand, people are turning to the next best option - the internet.

Online television is one of today's emerging trends amongst people of all ages. "I started watching online television a couple of years ago when the shows I used to watch weren't shown in the region," Salem Abdul Rahman, a 21-year-old Emirati, said.

Variety

"Whether it's a movie, TV show or short clip, I watch it online, and it's similar with all my friends, because there is more variety in what could be watched and there's the ability to choose when and where to watch it," Abdul Rahman said.

It's similar with Anabelle Gonzales, a 26-year-old Filipina expatriate.

She said: "I watch a lot of online TV including the latest movies, shows and short videos. I also watch newscasts.

"Many of my friends spend the whole day online in their offices, which makes online television convenient," added Gonzales.

Amitabh Saxena, a 40-year-old Indian expatriate, and a cricket fan, also finds online television appealing. "I am a fan of cricket and I like watching the latest matches and sport news online." He said that several of his friends watch movies online.

"I have a lot of Indian friends in Canada and in various parts of Europe, who watch Hindi films, television shows and sport news which they may not have access to otherwise because of their location," Saxena said.

Even though the majority seems to be taken in by this new technology, some still believe "old is gold".

"I prefer my traditional television. I cannot be bothered with all the technical issues, which waste my time when it comes to online television," Daoud J. Khalaf, a 52-year-old Jordanian expatriate told Gulf News.

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