Business Software Alliance (BSA), the leading global organisation that is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace, recently joined Bahrain's Ministry of Information in publicly destroying thousands of unlicensed CDs.

The move emphasises the Bahrain Government's proactive stance towards anti-piracy as it seeks to establish itself as a secure international IT investment destination.

The unlicensed CDs were disposed of in the presence of authorities, concerned parties, and media after they were confiscated during a series of raids across Bahrain. The move intended to show profiteers the seriousness and scope of the government's anti-piracy campaign.

The Bahraini government has been coordinating with the BSA on various educational programs to enhance public awareness on the impact of piracy and the consequences to violators of intellectual property rights.

“Bahrain is highly committed to preventing the various detrimental social and economic effects of software piracy; this highlights our aggressive efforts to establish Bahrain as a piracy-free region,” said Jamal Dawood, director of Publication, Bahrain Ministry of Information.

The BSA and the Bahrain Ministry of Information recently co-hosted an anti-piracy road show at the Bahrain Sheraton Hotel as part of regional efforts to enhance public awareness of intellectual property rights issues.

Both parties previously signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007 to improve the Ministry’s management of copyright issues.

"Piracy and unlicensed software have become one of the most pervasive crimes of our times and yet much still needs to be done in the region and throughout the world to combat this rapidly-evolving global issue.

"Our strong partnership with Bahrain is a major step in securing a move towards a piracy-free Arab World, which will contribute significantly to the region’s shared goal of sustainable social and economic development,” said Jawad Al Redha, BSA co-chairman in the Middle East.

BSA has been leading global efforts against illegal software usage through initiatives that focus on educating consumers and providing much-needed assistance in conducting anti-piracy enforcement activities. - TradeArabia News Service