Microsoft Global Anti-Piracy Day was celebrated last week with the simultaneous launch of education initiatives and enforcement actions in 49 countries on six continents.

Microsoft Gulf participated in this event.

The programmes included intellectual property awareness campaigns, engagements with partner businesses, educational forums and local law enforcement training aimed at encouraging more legal actions against alleged software counterfeiters and pirates, according to a company spokesman.

Microsoft is taking these steps as part of its commitment to working with the community, national governments and local law enforcement agencies around the world to help protect its customers and partners and promote the value of intellectual property as a driver of innovation.

“Software piracy and counterfeiting is a sophisticated, global trade with a damaging impact on consumers, businesses and economies, and Microsoft is committed to working with others around the world to stay a step ahead of this illegal industry,” said associate general counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting at Microsoft David Finn.

Global Anti-Piracy Day provided a 24-hour snapshot on the range of education initiatives and legal actions that are taking place on an ongoing basis in local markets around the world.

“The UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain were especially recognized for their productive efforts against piracy for the past month,” said IPR manager, Microsoft Gulf, Jawad Al Redha.

“In the past month we have witnessed law enforcement conduct successful raids against resellers who were allegedly shipping computers loaded with unlicensed installations of Microsoft software in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. In addition, a commercial roundtable promoting intellectual property awareness, involving representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Information, Kuwait Municipality and Customs, has been planned for Kuwait.”- TradeArabia News Service