Microsoft's Support for Anti-Piracy Initiatives Yield More Results

Recent raids conducted in Kuwait confiscate counterfeit and pirated Microsoft software

Kuwait, March 30, 2011 - Microsoft Gulf announced that the Kuwait Ministry of Commerce and Industry conducted four raids on resellers in February, recovering illegal Microsoft software loaded onto computers and disks.

Four separate raids were conducted by the Ministry. The raids which were conducted across resellers in Hawally, Fahaheel and Farwaniya areas in Kuwait recovered hardware including laptops installed with pirated Microsoft products, and disks containing popular Microsoft programs.

Sheikha Rasha Naif Al Jaber Al-Sabah, Manager of the Copyright Department at Kuwait Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said: "Software piracy is a serious problem that has far reaching effects on everyone from the customer to the software manufacturer. The value of intellectual property rights is something that needs to be reinforced as it is a valuable economic driver. In doing this, we will create a greater awareness of the rights safeguarding intellectual property in the region. Our continuous initiatives with Microsoft help us to fight software piracy in the region."

Expressing his support for the fight against illegal software and piracy, Jawad Al Redha, BSA Chair, Gulf said: "We welcome the continued efforts of the Kuwait Ministry of Commerce and Industry to curb piracy and stop the distribution of illegal software. We are committed to protecting our stakeholders which includes our customers, resellers and partners, from the harmful effects of piracy and counterfeit software. Piracy has serious economic implications, and we are dedicated to working with governments to clamp down on this issue."

Education about the adverse effects of software piracy on local economies is something Microsoft continues to do, with the company making customers and partners aware about the risks inherent when pirated or counterfeit software is purchased. These risks include security issues such as being open to viruses, identity or credit card theft, loss of data and damage to the reputation of the customer's business.

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About Microsoft Gulf
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:'MSFT') is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Gulf opened its Dubai-based headquarters in 1991. Microsoft Gulf today oversees Microsoft activities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Microsoft Corporation's address on the worldwide web is: www.microsoft.com and Microsoft's Gulf web site is: www.microsoft.com/gulf.

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Nadin Al Alami / Rana Nagi
Asda'a Burson-Marsteller
Tel: 00965 22901571/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5
Fax: 00965 2290157
Email: n.alami@asdaa.com / r.nagi@asdaa.com