A round-table discussion highlighting the importance of IPR protection and the campaign to fight software piracy was held in Kuwait by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
The meeting, attended by officials from the Ministry of Justice, Department of Customs, National Kuwaiti Library and Ministry of Trade and Industry, was part of BSA's ongoing campaign to raise awareness about the importance of IPR.
This was the third round-table on IPR organised by BSA in the Middle East.
"IPR is an extremely complex issue that has a great impact on business environment of a country. As technology transfer involves global interaction, even developed countries are battling to implement laws that have minimum room for misinterpretation.
"Companies and individuals in the Arab world stand to lose out on their rightful gains, if their work is not adequately protected. Greater joint efforts and more complex licensing agreements are now necessary to maintain healthy business growth," said Sheikha Rasha Nayef Al Subah, director of the IPR Department at Kuwait's Ministry of Information (MOI).
"As the Arab world progresses towards an open economy, protection of IPR is a growing concern. There is an urgent need to create and implement well-structured copyright protection laws that will safeguard the rights of innovators, especially in the field of software and multimedia.
"At the same time, low awareness levels among enforcement officials and individuals needs to be addressed through extensive public campaigns.
"The round-table discussion served as an excellent vehicle to bring together all the officials and the judiciary at a common platform," said Jawad Al Redha, co-chairman, BSA Middle East.
Gulf News
