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Dubai: The losses from software piracy in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) stood at $2.45 billion (Dh9 billion) in 2007, an increase of 23.73 per cent when compared to $1.98 billion (Dh7.26 billion) in 2006, a study on global piracy trends shows.
Gulf countries lost $400 million (Dh1.47 billion) in 2007, an increase of 3.09 per cent when compared to $388 million (Dh1.42 billion) in 2006.
Business Software Alliance (BSA) said the annual study on global software piracy - conducted by global market research firm IDC - revealed that the GCC region has improved its anti-piracy performance through initiatives such as smart government policies, effective enforcement, end user customer education and vendor legalisation programmes.
The UAE has once again posted the best anti-piracy rating in the Gulf region with 35 per cent.
At No 20, the UAE is the only Arab country among the 20 lowest-piracy countries in the world and ahead of eight European countries.
"The study indicates that global piracy has increased largely because of the unprecedented growth of the IT industry in areas where there are no committed efforts to control piracy. The spread of internet has likewise contributed to the current situation as access to pirated software has moved from the streets to the internet," said Jawad Al Redha, BSA co-chairman for the Gulf region.
Reports show that global piracy rates have jumped by three percentage points to 38 per cent in 2007.
Al Redha said the UAE model is a good example for the other Arab countries and this is the 12th year in which the country is ranked lowest in the region.
BSA emphasises that the rapid growth of the IT industry in countries with weak copyright enforcement and expanding internet access, especially broadband, have largely contributed to the global trend.
Of the 108 countries covered, 67 were able to improve their piracy ratings, with only eight reporting increases in piracy, although many of these countries had exceedingly high piracy ratings. The Middle East and Africa region maintained its piracy rating at 60 per cent for the second straight year.
The study also revealed that global losses in 2007 totalled nearly $48 billion (Dh176.16 billion), an increase of $8 billion (Dh29.36 billion) over the previous year.
The study showed that 261 million personal computers (PCs) were shipped to consumers in 2007, a 16 per cent growth, with individual consumers and small businesses accounting for 66 per cent of the market. Nearly 700 million PCs were installed with new software, resulting in $80 billion (Dh293.6 billion) in sales of PC software, which was an increase of 18 per cent.
"As the leading agency in the global fight against piracy, BSA will continue to work with IT communities, government agencies, consumer groups and the general public to promote a safe and crime-free digital society," said Al Redha.
'We are confident of creating an ever greater impact in the future. In fact, our study has revealed that if we can reduce global piracy by 10 points over the next four years, we will be able to generate thousands of new jobs, substantially increase tax revenues and build a stronger economy for all countries," said Al Redha.
He said the UAE government is definitely playing a key role in bringing piracy rate down. "We are planning several initiatives with the government and also a series of awareness campaigns. We are also planning to hold events on the lines of the Cyber Crime seminars," he said.
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