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UAE sees 52 percent rise in software piracy

21 June 2008 20:48 by Andre "DVDBack23" Yoskowitz | 10 comments

Officials in the United Arab Emirates have said they are growing more and more concerned with the rising levels of piracy in the region despite its reputation as the region leader in anti-piracy practices.

Estimates say 35-38 percent of all software sold in the UAE is counterfeit and that the number of pirated goods sold has risen 52 percent year over year. According to a survey conducted by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and global market research firm IDC, losses attributed to piracy rose to $94 million USD up from $62 million last year.

Overall software piracy in the Middle East rose to $2.45 billion, up 24 percent year on year.

In a similar announcement, the Ministry of Interior noted that arrests for software piracy had risen 107 percent year over year and that number seemed to be still growing.

"Software piracy is the easiest type of piracy because software is not tangible," said Ahmad Al Jasim, regional manager of Autodesk Middle East. According to Al-Jasim, Autodesk sees a 55 percent piracy rate in the region.

"Software is usually on a CD and because a company's knowledge is on this small storage device people can actually easily pirate it. The fakes come in mass volume, primarily from East Asia."

He concluded that piracy is very hard to stop, despite active anti-piracy media from the state and the software companies.

"Even if you catch some there's still more new pirates coming in every year...Then you try to catch them - it's a continuous cycle."

Permalink to this article

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Discuss this article!
skeil909 (Newbie) 21 June 2008 21:04
*Quote:* losses attributed to piracy rose to $94 million USD up from $62 million last year. Baloney, baloney and more baloney! Estimated losses do to piracy are a fictitious, meaningless, and unsubstantiated number. [ + quote]
ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 21 June 2008 21:26
skeil909 re read it mate they are noting sold not shared so they can have a point on this. ---------- *Quote:* Estimates say 35-38 percent of all software sold in the UAE is counterfeit and that the number of pirated goods sold has risen 52 percent year over year. According to a survey conducted by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and global market research firm IDC, losses attributed to piracy rose to $94 million USD up from $62 million last year. If less than half of all EU software can hit 1B then perhaps theres a underlying reason for the pirating. AS much as I hate bootlegs sometimes they have a place to show discipensies in market. [ + quote]
fgamer (Member) 21 June 2008 21:50
I hope that number goes higher..I guess they'll have to lock everybody up and release the murderers and sex offendors, to make room for us pirates! [ + quote]
kesma594 (Junior Member) 21 June 2008 22:35
I have been there before, the video game stores in the mall sell modded systems and all the bootleg games you can want for dirt cheap. I miss it. [ + quote]
windsong (Junior Member) 21 June 2008 23:07
Wasn't even aware they were that popular in that part of the world. Good luck playing FF13 in Arabic. :) [ + quote]
susieqbbb (Member) 22 June 2008 11:22
And what they need to realize is that in the middle east everything is pirated software movies you name it it most likely is illegal so i find this funny that they said that the UAE has a good record of busting software pirates when in fact i know people that have come back from the middle east and have purchased ton's of counterfeit stuff movies and games and even clothes. So i think the UAE isn't doing there job very well huh. [ + quote]
xSModder (Junior Member) 22 June 2008 13:56
the technology is right in front of their faces, and still they choose to pay.. oh well, there's gotta be a reason Akmed bought his Photoshop for $50 rather than $999 ;) [ + quote]
varnull (AfterDawn Addict) 22 June 2008 14:13
I give photoshop away to people on request.. along with a full open office suite and gimpshop.. FOSS v payware direct comparison... is that piracy or sharing.. or is it sensible promotion of FOSS and a new way of doing things?? Hooray for UAE pirates.. I don't understand why a western democracy hating country full to the brim with oil gives a flying ---- about western greedy software companies losing out... oh hang about.. they have oil, and Bush still has an army. Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. Im going outside now.. and I may be some time........ [ + quote]
lynchGOP (Inactive) 23 June 2008 12:43
Send some of the stuff over here please. [ + quote]
borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 24 June 2008 18:20
This does not surprise me one bit the middle east and asai are big hot spots for piracy but if u think about it piracy is helping their economy a lot of the population within these countries are below or just barley over the poverty line and piracy can help these people and their families to survive and support their families. [ + quote]