The Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA) evolved from the comprehensive anti-piracy program that was established by the Motion Picture Association in 1996.
The staff of the AAA under the MPA operation drastically reduced levels of piracy by emplacing an aggressive campaign. The program seized over 2 million CDs and cassettes, concluded over 500 raids against pirates and their duplication sites, and imprisoned over 15 copyright offenders. The program reinforced its vigilant actions with awareness campaigns to the consumers through all media (television, newspapers and radio), liaising with the authorities for stronger copyright and trademark enforcement (with the applicable Governments and US Embassies), and conducting training seminars to promote effective copyright and trademark enforcement.
The AAA has established full time operations in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Each country is managed by retired Command Police Officers who have taken their cumulative 100 years of enforcement experiences against hard core crime (homicide, narcotics, theft,..) within their respective countries and are applying it to copyright and trademark infringements. The Operation Managers of each country have been nominated to their positions within AAA by the leadership of their respective countries and combined with their extensive network that has been cultivated over the years, facilitates effective enforcement of the law. We now have offices with professional staff in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Bahrain and Kuwait.
The Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA) has quickly and effectively become the leading service provider in combating piracy in the GCC. We provide a specialized and comprehensive anti-piracy program that aggressively combats piracy in a multi-pronged approach. It is through our successful efforts that stakeholders' profitability is protected, brand imaging is preserved, and investments are safeguarded. We are able to effectively combat piracy by providing a comprehensive program that includes case management, lobbying, training, and public relations.
Case management: Our personnel includes representatives operating in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Kuwait and UAE that continuously interface with the authorities, resulting in imposed criminal actions. All facets of piracy from duplication, distribution, and sales networks have been aggressively attacked. In a nutshell, no stone is left unturned.
Lobbying: AAA's representatives work continuously with the authorities to ensure that there is an efficient IPR regime established to combat piracy. Additionally, we work with the USG (US State, USPTO, USTR,..) and other anti-piracy organizations to ensure that our issues of concern are being highlighted in all relevant discussions. Although we have many challenges ahead of us, we have achieved monumental success in our efforts to date, as evidenced by the following key landmark achievements facilitated by AAA:
Parallel importer sentenced to two month imprisonment by UAE Courts
Routine deterrent penalties being meted in the UAE and Bahrain Courts
Systematic involvement of the police and prioritization of IPR crimes within UAE
Transparency achieved in Saudi Arabia and our legal counsel is able to be intricately involved with the Adjudication process
Ban in Saudi Arabia against unauthorized decoder boxes
Eradication of overt Street Vendor piracy in Saudi Arabia
Imposing raids against sources of piracy (homes and warehouses) within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Training: The AAA holds training seminars on effective copyright enforcement for those agencies charged with enforcement of the copyright and trademark law. We have traditionally discussed the background of the legitimate industry, methods that the pirates use to duplicate and distribute illegal products into the market, how to differentiate legitimate from illegitimate product, and including the impact piracy has on the local market. We have now trained over 1,000 personnel. We were invited by the USG to speak at their conferences and were identified as sponsors for a Pan Arab regional conference organized and funded by United States Copyright, Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In summary, the staff of the AAA have trained enforcement authorities on how to effectively enforce the copyright law and have established excellent rapport with all levels of the Government, international anti-piracy organizations and US State Department.
Public Relations: The AAA institutes a public relations program to inform the public about copyright and trademark issues, thus increasing pressure on the governments to provide effective protection and broadcast effective raids and application of deterrent penalties, warning other prospecting pirates. AAA has been featured in hundreds of articles in the leading newspapers and magazines, and employees have been interviewed on the local news and radio talk shows.
In a short amount of time, the Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance has become the leader in combating piracy while becoming a specialized, highly successful business filling a unique and necessary niche in the market. While attorneys habitually charge monstrous hourly rates, we are able to service the same clients in a more efficient, more cost effective, and more aggressive manner through our capped fee program. Investigation companies stop at merely investigating, whereas we not only investigate cases, but we manage them while lobbying for an effective regime. In our brief company history, we have created that has significant impact on all community members.
