Microsoft settles piracy case in UAE

Dubai: Microsoft reached an out-of-court agreement with a computer retailer over the sale of pirated versions of its software, an industry association said yesterday.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), an anti-piracy association, said UAE-based Royal Focus LLC agreed to pay a settlement and signed a declaration that it would abstain from selling illegal copies of computer software.

However, a spokesperson for Royal Focus denied any wrongdoing, and said the company signed the agreement in order to quickly resolve the issue. "We have never sold pirated software and we are not going to do so in the future," the spokesperson told Gulf News.

The settlement follows a raid on the Royal Focus store in Computer Plaza, in Bur Dubai, where Micro-soft allegedly found pirated software for sale.

"We are determined to reduce software piracy through any and all legitimate means," said Tolga Altinordu, a director at Microsoft Gulf.

"Piracy is not a victimless crime, and has destructive potential of stifling creativity, hampering economic growth, eroding trust and perverting business environments."

Strict vigil

BSA said in a release, "The liability amount will be increased in case evidence is found of continued infringement."

Officials at the Censorship Department in Dubai Government lauded the news as a step towards combating the illegal sale of software. "We are happy that we are reaching into settlement agreements, this means that people are realizing the importance of IPR [intellectual property rights] laws," said director Juma Al Leem.

"Microsoft Corp and the BSA's efforts to crack down against corporations and individuals that flaunt the principles of IPR will have a massively buoyant effect on regional creative capital and will catalyae strong growth in the IT sector and software industry," said Al Leem.