Microsoft Gulf announced that it had filed criminal complaints which led to four anti-piracy raids on resellers in the UAE over the last two months, as part of its ongoing efforts to curb the spread of pirated software in the region.

Three raids were conducted in Dubai and one in Sharjah which resulted in the confiscation of several pirated software CDs and personal computers (PCs) loaded with fake copies of Microsoft Windows and Office.

As an active member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the international association established by the global software industry to promote a safe and legal digital world, Microsoft continues to educate customers and partners about the negative effects of software piracy on the local economy and to increase awareness about the risks of counterfeit to consumers using counterfeit or hacked software, such as exposure to security issues like viruses, identify or credit card theft.

By partnering with local government bodies, Microsoft has also stepped up its regional efforts to take legal steps against those who manufacture and distribute illegal software.

“In addition to the impact on economies and innovation, software piracy poses very real risks to businesses and consumers. It is for this reason that protecting Intellectual Property Rights is at the top of the agenda for the Ministry where we partner with organisations such as Microsoft in the development of strategies and mechanisms that will help tackle this issue in the Arab world,” stated Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al Shihhi, general manager of the UAE Ministry of Economy.

“Microsoft takes the issue of the pirated software very seriously because our customers expect and deserve the highest-level of satisfaction when purchasing our products”, said Jawad Al Redha, IPR manager, Microsoft Gulf.

“Through the Genuine Software Initiative (GSI), Microsoft is committed to advancing education amongst our customers while investing heavily in engineering world-class anti-counterfeiting technologies and to supporting government and law enforcement on taking action against counterfeiters.”

“Every year, millions of consumers and businesses are hurt by counterfeit software that they acquire unwittingly. Consumers, businesses and resellers continually ask for help in mitigating the threats posed by pirates,” added  Dale Waterman, Microsoft’s corporate attorney for Anti Piracy for the Middle East and Africa region.-TradeArabia News Service