UAE AUTHORITIES COLLABORATE WITH ABU DHABI TV TO

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000577 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPR AND EB/IPC FOR WILSON STATE PASS USTR - PECK AND BUNTIN STATE PASS LOC - STEPP USDOC FOR USPTO - URBAN, LASHLEY-JOHNSON USDOC FOR KSCHLEGELMILCH E.O. 12958: DECL: NA TAGS: PREL KIPR ETRD TC SUBJECT: UAE AUTHORITIES COLLABORATE WITH ABU DHABI TV TO BUST IPR VIOLATORS REFS: ABU DHABI 490 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) The UAE Ministry of Information enlisted Abu Dhabi TV last week to film an undercover sting operation that seized dozens of CDs and copyrighted software at a computer store in Abu Dhabi. The Ministry of Information conducted the raid -- touted as the first "camera ambush" in the Arab world -- after surveilling the shop for several weeks, and based on a tip-off from the Arabian Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance (AAA) that the company was dealing in pirated software. ¶2. (U) According to press reports, a representative of the Ministry's Censorship Department (equipped with a hidden microphone supplied by Abu Dhabi TV) entered the store pretending to be an ordinary customer. Another Ministry official watched the shop attendant sell pirated software to the "customer," and then signaled to the camera team to enter the shop and record the incident. Local police arrested the shop owner and seized PCs loaded with pirated software and several CDs of illegally copied software. ¶3. (U) Commenting on the raid, Chief Executive of AAA Scott Butler said, "This raid signifies the UAE's continuing campaign against violators of intellectual property rights and its resolve to track down distributors trading in pirated software as well as end-users breaking the law." Under the Copyright Law of 2002, counterfeiters in the UAE face two to nine months imprisonment and a fine ranging from USD $2,700 to $55,000. The penalty is doubled for repeat offenders according to the number of copyrights violated. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The UAEG stands at the forefront of protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) in the region (see ref). This report is further anecdotal evidence that the UAEG vigorously is enforcing copyright, trademark and patent laws passed in 2002 and even enlisting the local TV station to collect evidence against IPR violators to be used in court. According to figures collected by the Business Software Alliance, the UAEG has trimmed the incidence of software piracy from 86 percent in 1994 to 36 percent in 2002 -- the lowest in the region. End comment. Wahba