Not all consumers in the Kingdom are likely to celebrate the removal of Saudi Arabia from the US's intellectual rights watchlist as it likely is already translating into higher prices for dvds and computer software. In the long run, however, an increased respect for and more trenchant legal protections of copyrights will work to the Kingdom's advantage both economically and creatively. It is a safe assumption that nearly everyone living in Saudi Arabia knows where to buy pirated dvds. And there is no secret that such dvds are against the law. The surreptitious manner in which the goods are offered to shoppers is indication enough. Nevertheless, it is hard to resist purchasing a dvd at a fraction of the price for which it is on offer at an establishment that has legitimate rights to sell the properly copied dvd. The same can be said of computer software, from games to serious business software. Anyone who has bought a new computer in the Kingdom knows well the question of what software they would like installed and whether they want originals or copies. What the pirates don't realize is that they are cheating themselves out of profits. Prices are higher but so are profit margins. Retailing pirated goods serves solely to benefit to any extent those at the top of the pyramid, the actual intellectual property thieves. The widespread use of pirated intellectual property also results in a population accustomed to second-rate software as the likelihood of pirated software being defective or of inferior quality is far higher than that of legitimately produced and distributed software. The scarcity of pirated goods on the Saudi market should also result in increased efforts to create intellectual property locally. While a common rationale for buying pirated software is “why should Bill Gates get more money?”, a better question is “why should the profits for legitimate software go to primarily to Europe, East Asia and North America?” The opening of a legitimate software market in Saudi Arabia will translate into a legitimate market for software creators. As that market falls into place, perhaps Saudis heading for higher education overseas will be moved to earn degrees in fields with hard-core applications and not just intellectual pursuits. All piracy, whether it is of intellectual property or on the high seas, is motivated by greed and selfishness. The short-term ramifications of increased vigilance regarding intellectual property may hit the individual's pocketbook, but in the long-term the results will benefit everyone. __
