The new Unfair Competition Law (UCL) has been enacted to step up the campaign against piracy in Saudi Arabia, according to the Kingdom’s Business Software Alliance (BSA) representative.
“The new law also promotes fair competition, encourages manufacturers to respect property rights in IT systems and eliminates the unfair competitive advantage obtained by manufacturers that use stolen IT in business operations,” Mohammed Al-Dabaan told Arab News exclusively.
He made the announcement yesterday in the wake of the 6th Annual Government Officials Conference on Copyright Protection in Arab Countries, which wound up Monday at Riyadh’s King Fahd Cultural Center. He said UCL eliminates the unfair competitive advantage gained by manufacturers who use stolen IT in their business operations.
“Moreover, it encourages respect for property rights and fair competition through public awareness and safeguards responsible business practices across multiple manufacturing industries,” he said.
Stressing the benefits of combating IT theft, Al-Dabaan said the new law levels the competitive playing field for manufacturers, spurs innovation and promotes responsible business practices across multiple manufacturing industries.
He added IT theft exceeds $58 billion per year worldwide, which negatively affects economic growth, investment and incentives for innovation in most regions.
New law enacted to root out piracy in Kingdom
