(20 April 2009 3:15 pm)

MUMBAI: The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to clamp down on the illegal distribution of Subhash Chandra-owned direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV’s services in the gulf.

The Ministry of Economy (MoE) had recently conducted raids against unauthorised Dish TV dealers, with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah police conducting similar offensives in their respective areas. The raids led to the confiscation of a number of Dish TV boxes, marking the largest action against Dish TV dealers in the GCC. The violators were arrested and criminally charged with violation of the copyright law.

MoE in a release said that it has issued directives to the concerned authorities to clamp down on unauthorised Dish TV in the UAE. It also stated that “selling these boxes in the UAE is prohibited as it violates national copyright law by infringing on broadcasting rights.” The boxes are illegally imported from India and sold throughout the Gulf.

UAE MoE GM Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Alshihhi said, “We have requested the various parties involved to tighten control over unauthorized Dish TV boxes that illegally enter through a neighboring country and are sold in our local markets. 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.”

Alshihhi emphasised that stringent legal actions will be taken against those caught violating the Ministry’s order, as piracy harms the competitiveness of the UAE, which ultimately reflects negatively on the national economy. He also noted that the Ministry will firmly deal with piracy-related activities.

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