Clampdown on dish TV dealers WAM Published: April 19, 2009, 23:10
Dubai: The Ministry of Economy has issued directives to authorities to clamp down on unauthorised dish TV in the UAE. The directives strongly emphasise that selling these boxes in the UAE is prohibited as it violates the national copyright law by infringing on broadcasting rights. The boxes are illegally imported from India and sold throughout the Gulf. The ministry recently conducted inspections against unauthorised dish TV dealers, with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah police carrying out raids in March, which led to the confiscation of a number of dish TV boxes. These marked the largest actions against dish TV dealers in the GCC. The violators were arrested and criminally charged with violation of the copyright law. ------------------------------ [image: Click Here!] <http://gulfnews.advertserve.com/servlet/click/zone?zid=22&pid=0&lookup=true&position=1> ------------------------------ Mohammad Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehi, General Manager of the ministry, said, "We have requested the various parties involved to tighten control over unauthorised dish TV boxes that illegally enter through a neighbouring country and are sold in our local market. "I would like to thank the police and concerned national bodies for their cooperation in fighting piracy and taking measures against intellectual property rights (IPR) violators." Al Shehi emphasised that legal action will be taken against those caught violating the Ministry's order, as piracy harms the competitiveness of the UAE, which reflects negatively on the national economy. He also noted that the Ministry will firmly deal with piracy-related activities. The UAE is a country that maintains one of the lowest piracy rates and is one of the best states in terms of fighting piracy. This is due to the effective cooperation between Federal agencies. The Police are also swift in their actions to eliminate methods of piracy. The recent step taken by the ministry and other concerned bodies is one of the key elements in providing a healthy work environment and enhancing the competitiveness that the UAE market enjoys. The Ministry is working on enhancing confidence in the local markets and promoting a culture of research and development which forms the basis for fostering innovation and creativity. -- Visit my website on MULTIPLY http://edwardlopes7.multiply.com
