Abu Dhabi: A man has been arrested on charges of online piracy after he uploaded an Arabic film onto a video sharing website, the Abu Dhabi Police said on Saturday (April 25).
The act of copyright infringement was detected after the film’s producer contacted the authorities and reported that the movie, which was being screened at cinemas across the region, had also been uploaded on a website hosted outside the UAE.
Dr Rashid Borshid, direction of criminal investigation at the Abu Dhabi Police, said his department learnt about the incident after being contacted by the producer. He had said that the online print of the film had been uploaded the same day as its release across cinemas.
“We started the investigations immediately, which led us to the suspect, A.M.,” Dr Borshid said.
A.M., an Arab, works as a station manager at a transport and services company, and admitted to the crime when interrogated.
The suspect, a UAE resident, had been working as an unlicensed website supervisor, in collaboration with another individual living abroad. The website charges members an annual fee of $100 (Dh367) to view uploaded content.
Following A.M.’s arrest, the electronic devices he used were confiscated by the authorities.
Maj Gen Amir Al Muhairi, director-general of police operations at Abu Dhabi Police, said the suspect’s arrest had limited the unlawful distribution and reproduction of the film.
He added that the police are keen to deter such forms of commercial fraud, which not only threatens the UAE economy but also discourages innovation and creativity. Abu Dhabi has a strong legislative framework to prevent theft of intellectual property, and strives to fight piracy so that a safe commercial environment can be maintained for all artists and business entities, he added.
The official also said that film piracy is the same, whether the video is distributed through websites or CDs.
“It is a violation of the UAE’s laws on intellectual property, and can cause heavy losses for producers,” he explained.
The officials also urged residents to report such instances of commercial fraud.
