Buoyed by the impressive success it achieved in recent times in curbing the threat of software piracy, Kuwait has announced plans to further step up its anti-piracy campaign. Kuwaiti authorities have said they are reinforcing their cooperation with Business Software Alliance (BSA), the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world, to ensure the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the country through widespread education and enforcement efforts.
Kuwaiti authorities, in association with BSA, will step up their campaign through a series of seminars, trainings and conferences targeted at specific societal segments, including IT resellers, public and private sector organizations, the student community and the public at large. The campaigns will highlight the adverse effects of software piracy on the national economy - in terms of reduced IT investments and employment opportunities – and also stress on the disadvantages of using pirated software, such as poor PC performance, non-availability of vital technical support and rampant virus attacks.
“Our success in curbing the threat of piracy could determine to a large extent the pace of future growth of Kuwait’s IT industry,” said Qannas Al Adwani, Director of Publications, Ministry of Information, Kuwait. “Market studies have shown that Kuwait can gain significant economic benefits by ensuring a consistent fall in piracy rates, and we are positive that our renewed focus on IPR protection will go a long way in putting the country on the fast track to sustained economic growth. Through increased cooperation with BSA, we aim to give further impetus to our awareness efforts while ensuring strict implementation of IPR laws.”
A recent study by the International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that decreasing Kuwait’s piracy rate by 10 percentage points could deliver one of the largest relative benefits in the region, adding nearly US$ 350 million to Kuwait’s economy, increasing local industry revenues by US$ 219 million, and pumping an additional US$ 1 million into the country’s tax base. The IDC study reveals that demand for software in Kuwait grew a remarkable 85 per cent between 2000 and 2004, adding US$ 450 million in new IT revenues to the economy and creating nearly 1,000 new IT jobs during the period. By further reducing its software piracy rate, says the study, Kuwait could double the size of its IT sector and generate 2,600 more IT jobs.
Jawad Al Redha, Chairman, BSA Middle East, said, “It is encouraging to note that Kuwaiti authorities are looking to consolidate their recent gains by actively pressing ahead with the anti-piracy campaign, rather than being content with their successes. Such proactive efforts at the government level will help create a healthy investment climate and inspire confidence in global investors. BSA is committed to extend full cooperation and assistance to Kuwait in its continued battle against piracy.”
The annual global piracy study, conducted by IDC and released by BSA, showed Kuwait to have successfully reduced piracy rate from 68 per cent in 2004 to 66 per cent in 2005. The piracy rate in the Middle East declined one percentage point to 57 per cent, even as the global piracy rate remained unchanged at 35 per cent.
Editor’s Note:
The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace BSA helps governments and consumers understand how software strengthens the economy, worker productivity and global development and how its further expansion hinges on the successful fight against software piracy and Internet theft. BSA programs foster technology innovation through education and policy initiatives that promote copyright protection, cyber security, trade and e-commerce.
BSA members include: 4D, Adobe, Agfa-Monotype, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Bentley Systems, Borland, BVRP Software, Centennial, Cisco Systems, CNC Software/Mastercam, Grupo SP, Entrust, HiT Internet Technologies, HP, IBM, iInventory, Intel, Intergraph, Internet Security Systems, Intuit, LMS International, Macromedia, Magix, Mamut, McAfee, Microsoft, Microstar, Nemetschek, O&O Software, OWG, Panda Software, Realviz, RSA Security, SIA, SolidWorks, Staff & Line, Sybase, Symantec, TeamSystem, Trend Micro, UGS PLM Solutions, VERITAS Software, Visma, WRQ.
