Business Software Alliance (BSA), the organisation dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world, has announced the winner of the Arab IPR Media Awards 2005, which was held under its auspices. The winners are Mahmoud Saberi of Gulf News, Thair Soukar of Channel Arabic Magazine, Isaac John of Khaleej Times, Mohammad Mousa of Al Khaleej and Haider bin Abdel Redha bin Dawood of Oman Daily.
Thair Soukar won the award for his investigative report on software and hardware counterfeiting. Mahmoud Saberi received the award for his article on UAE’s efforts to combat piracy, while Isaac John was recognised for his insightful reportage about the challenges and opportunities in forging an effective anti-piracy drive in the Arab world. Mohammad Mousa was awarded for his dissective analysis of the methods of software pirates and means for combating them, and Hamed bin Abdel Redha’s article on the social aspects IPR violation in Emerging Markets won him the award. The winners were awarded at a Gala ceremony held yesterday, (Monday, 26 December 2005) at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai.
Commending the winners, Juma Al Leem, Director, Ministry of Information, Dubai said, “Protecting Intellectual Property Rights is a central principle contributing to society’ growth and development. We are proud that the region’s vibrant media community is a frontrunner in raising awareness of IPR. I commend each of the winners and the publications, for having contributed in their own individual way to the importance of IPR protection in the region.”
Jawad Al Redha, Co-Chairman – Middle East, Business Software Alliance, said, “The Arab IPR Media Awards is a pioneering distinction as it seeks to recognise the contribution of media towards promoting a safe, legal and digitally inclusive society in the Arab World. This year we received some excellent articles, op-ed pieces and features that looked at various aspects of intellectual property protection. The award is also a manifestation of BSA’s belief in the success of a participatory approach, where key stakeholders work in partnership to further improve the commitment to respecting intellectual property rights.”
“The reportage in the media about IPR gives perspective to the various challenges and issues dealing with piracy in the Middle East region. Though the sustained efforts of authorities in the region are commendable, many countries are weighed down by the use of illegal software, requiring us to envision a pioneering approach to solve this problem. Educating the end users, traders, business customers all go a long way as putting a stop to this practice, and the media is a strategic partner in this venture,” said Al Redha.
IPR violation in the software sector is considered the biggest challenge the global IT industry is facing. According to the 2004 Annual Piracy Report announced by Business Software Alliance (BSA), the total loss suffered by the global retail industry due to software piracy amounted to US$ 32.7 billion, of which the Middle East region accounted for US$ 1.2 billion.
“Protection of IPR laws is critical to faster economic development of the region. Economies are suffering huge yearly losses owing to violation of IPR laws, forcing companies to rethink their investment in these economies. There needs to be a broad based approach to enforce statutes protecting IPR in a bid to boost the regions credibility internationally and thereby attracting more foreign investment and generating employment and continued overall development,” concluded Al Redha.
