The UAE's Ministry of Economy (MoE) has issued directives to the concerned authorities to clamp down on unauthorised Dish TV dealers.

The directives strongly emphasize that selling these boxes in the UAE is prohibited as it violates national copyright law by infringing on broadcasting rights. The boxes are illegally imported from India and sold throughout the Gulf.

The MoE recently conducted raids against unauthorised Dish TV dealers, with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah police conducting similar offensives in their respective areas last March which led to the confiscation of a number of Dish TV boxes.

These mark the largest actions against Dish TV dealers in the GCC. The violators were arrested and criminally charged with violation of the copyright law.

“We have requested the various parties involved to tighten control over unauthorized Dish TV boxes that illegally enter through a neighbouring country and are sold in our local markets,” said Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Alshihhi, general manager, UAE Ministry of Economy.

Alshihhi emphasised that stringent legal actions will be taken against those caught violating the Ministry’s order, as piracy harms the competitiveness of the UAE, which ultimately reflects negatively on the national economy.

“Legitimate businesses such as E-Vision are greatly hurt by this kind of piracy. The right to protect intellectual property is not only logical but a legal right as well; illegal pay TV is simply an unacceptable violation of IPR,” added Scott Butler, chief, Arabian Anti-piracy Alliance (AAA).-TradeArabia News Service