Bahrain is stepping up its war on software piracy with plans to double fines for anyone caught using illegal computer programmes.

The beefed-up anti-piracy laws could come into effect in months, Information Ministry publication and press director Jamal Dawood told the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

He said they could also include longer jail sentences for those caught using and dealing in pirated software.

'The law is already stringent and includes tough punishments, including fines of up to BD2,000 ($5304),' he said.

'But these could be doubled and punishments, including lengthy jail terms, could be made even tougher.'

Dawood revealed details of the plan shortly after publication of a study, which found that major software companies lost around $27 million last year as a result of piracy in Bahrain alone.

The study, published by the US-based Business Software Alliance (BSA) and Interactive Data Corporation (IDC), said losses were up from $23 million in 2006 - making it the single largest increase in the value of pirated software used in Bahrain since the annual Global Software Piracy Study was first published in 2003.

'We are winning battles, but are far from winning the war,' said Dawood. 'The global average piracy rate is now around 57 per cent, down from 60pc in 2006.'

'The situation in Bahrain is almost the same, but we are looking at (achieving) a figure of around 35 to 40 per cent. Once that is achieved, we will be in a position to claim that we have won the war.'

Losses by software companies are based on lost sales as a result of potential customers pirating original software.

However, Dawood said there was no way piracy could be eliminated completely. 'The pirates are always one step ahead the law enforcers,' he admitted.

'We do something and the pirates overtake it. It is a constant cat and mouse game.'

He added that it would be up to the courts to interpret the law when deciding the length of offenders' prison terms.

'In the end the jail sentences, if any, are and will be handed out by the courts and depend on the seriousness and the gravity of the crime,' he explained.

Dawood also revealed the Information Ministry was increasing its level of co-operation with companies like Microsoft, which are helping it police both software pirates and users of illegal software.

He added that in future it could be possible for authorities to track down and arrest users of illegal software with the co-operation of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - who could pinpoint their exact location using their Internet Protocol (IP) address.

'We are not involving ISPs in the country in identifying users at the moment,' he said. 'But this option cannot be ruled out in the future.'

He added that teams of inspectors were always on the lookout for software pirates and those using pirated software, saying many had been taken to court.

'The law is very clear on software pirates and violators face penalties,' he said.

Microsoft Gulf Intellectual Property Rights manager Jawad Al Redha confirmed the company was in constant touch with the Information Ministry on piracy issues.

'We update the ministry on several issues, including piracy, and get updates on what the government is doing,' he said.

'We are also involved in spreading awareness among the people and even among school students.

'The government has some very tough laws in place, but it all boils down to implementing them in letter and spirit.'

However, Al Redha said fighting piracy was not only about implementation of laws. 'Around 90 per cent of it is about raising awareness,' he said. 'If we succeed in raising awareness, we will think we have won.'

Al Redha, who is also the BSA Middle East co-chairperson, estimated the global cost of software piracy at $48 billion last year, up from $8 billion in 2006.

'According to current estimates, this figure is expected to reach $180 billion in the next four years.'-TradeArabia News Service