RIYADH: The computer software market in the Al-Ulaya district of Riyadh is a computer-geek’s heaven. This is the place where counterfeit software — such as Windows and Photoshop — is available at next-to-nothing prices, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported.
The market is well organized. Salesmen use subtle methods to sell counterfeit goods without attracting the attention of local officials. Both sellers and buyers cannot care less about breaking copyright laws.
Both Saudis and expatriates are involved in the sale of copied software. Expatriates generally hide their CDs under the counter and are careful when showing them to prospective customers. Saudis set up tables in the streets and are more open about what they are doing.
The market is open seven-days a week from morning till midnight. On sale are brilliant copies of expensive software. The copied items come with professionally designed covers and cases. Pornography — which is usually carefully packaged in computer software sleeves — is also widely available.
The Kingdom’s counterfeit business generates a huge profit. Blank CDs only cost SR1, and a copied CD can sell for anything between SR10 to SR20. Sellers also deceive customers by offering them CDs that do not work.
Customers say low prices attract them to come to the market. Saad Al-Ghamdi said he is able to buy software, which would normally cost SR1,000, for only SR15. “It’s ideal for me to buy counterfeit software as I can’t afford original software,” he said.
Abdullah Salem, another customer, said the prices in this market are very appealing. “The very high price of genuine CDs makes us look for cheap counterfeit ones. At the end of the day, fake CDs do the same job, as we can’t afford genuine software,” he said.
Khaled Al-Shehri said the sale of counterfeit goods thrive due to the high price of original programs.
“The prices of software programs are higher than the price of a computer itself. SR250 is the average price of a computer while a program like Photoshop costs SR3,000,” he said.
“I think the only way to stop this illegal practice is to reduce the price of the original CDs to make them affordable for people like me,” he added.
Abdul Rahman Al-Saeed said that selling or buying counterfeit CDs is illegal. “Producing programs such as Photoshop and Windows is expensive. These companies have every right to put the prices up and make profit,” he said.
“It is wrong to say that people buy counterfeit CDs to save money — they could use free software such as Ubuntu Linux, OpenOffice, which is like Microsoft Office, and Gimp, which is like Photoshop,” he said.
Abdul Rahman Al-Khaledi feels differently. He said that international software companies are benefiting from the sale of counterfeit software. “When a program is affordable, lots of people buy it and the software becomes popular. It becomes necessary for businesses to buy them. Without these counterfeit CDs, we wouldn’t even know what Windows looks like,” he said.