DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has launched an awareness campaign in collaboration with the beIN Network, offering tips to the public about the dangers of e-piracy and its negative impact on the community and the economy in general.
The move of the Ministry comes within the framework of its efforts to fight all forms of e-piracy. The financial impact of TV piracy is huge on Arab channels, which lose more than $500m due to the scourge. More than 47 pirated TV channels were shut down in November 2014 while 96 pirated channels surfaced in the Arab world in August 2014.
The financial value of pirated material was estimated at more than $800bn in 2014 while the intangible value of visual piracy stood at $109bn in the same year. The campaign, with the theme #Aqal_Min_Al_Wajeb,” the Arabic for “#the_least_we_can_do”, is a part of Ministry’s Ramadan initiatives.
The tips touched on the subject of piracy related to broadcasting sports events, one of the most prevalent types of piracy. The ministry also stressed the need to use original software by authorised dealers.
Ministry urges public to avoid visiting untrusted links
The ministry urged the public to be wary of sites that provide broadcast services at very low or unreasonable prices as well as to avoid visiting untrusted links and using unauthorised receivers or broadcast equipment.
The ministry said those who commit piracy will be subject to prosecution in line with law No. (7) of 2002 on the protection of copyright and related rights. The definition of piracy, which is a form of theft, was one of several tips offered by the ministry to children. The ministry also urged the public to ensure the legality of purchased software, movies, audio material, television episodes and video games as well as downloaded or live streamed content.
The number of illegal broadcast links that have been uncovered for the most important football tournaments in 2010/2011 included 2,555 links for the Bundesliga, 4098 for the Champions League, 12,901 for the English Premier League and 17,929 for the World Cup.
The ministry urged the public to stay up to date with its latest initiatives throughout Ramadan through its social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube under the name MEC_QATAR as well as to subscribe to its WhatsApp service on the number 66111400.
The Peninsula
