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nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Pirated softwares: US expels Saudi students
Saudi Gazette | May 12, 2014
Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140513204942

RIYADH — The US has barred 34 Saudi scholarship students from completing their studies at its universities and banned 40 Saudi tourists from entering its territories and returned them home for using unlicensed programs on their laptops, Makkah daily reported Monday quoting an official source.

Rafiq Al-Okaili, director of the department of copyright at the Ministry of Culture and Information, said the students have changed the countries of their study following the decision. He said Australia has also adopted the same measure against three Saudi students studying at its universities. Okaili recalled that about two years ago, an American university had inspected the laptop of a Saudi female student after accusing her of installing pirated software on her laptop. He said the female student showed the university's administration the bills of purchasing the software from a bookshop in the Kingdom. "The university contacted the bookshop which proved that the programs were authentic," he added.

Okaili said since 2009 the European Union, the US and other countries have become very particular about the intellectual property rights and are giving particular attention to computer piracy. He asked all citizens to use original programs on their PCs and laptops within the war against computer piracy. Oakili said the ministry plans to take stern action against individuals and companies who trade in fake computer programs. He added that the Kingdom is cooperating with a number of software companies to fight computer piracy which adversely affects the Kingdom's economy. He said the planned punishments against the software pirates include imprisonment, fines and defamation in local media.

(End of article)

cnthaiksarok · Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 2:17 am Post subject:

Can't help but wonder if they've checked the Chinese student's lappys....

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

Ahh.....a fine wouldn't have sufficed? Rolling Eyes

Rostom

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

sicklyman · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 930

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Cure for the problem? Have Saudi students buy their laptops and software in the US after they arrive. Historically that is cheaper anyway... at least for the computer, if not the software.

VS

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Some are booted for other reasons...

100 scholarship students deported annually from US
Arab News | 26 October 2014
Source: http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/650756

US Saudi cultural attaché Mohammed Al-Eissa said that about 100 Saudi students on scholarships to the United States return home annually because of reasons that include violating immigration rules, marital disputes and depression and ethical problems. Al-Eissa was speaking to local media on the issue saying that the number of Saudi deportees due to reasons of fraud or forgery was very small amounting to only 10 persons a year or one percent of the total number of students. “This is because of the strict regulations of the embassy and other US agencies,” he added. “Marital disputes, immigration issues, poor academic status and class attendance are among the main problems encountered by Saudi students but they account for less than 100 cases a year,” Al-Eissa explained.

He said that the main reason for the deportation of Saudi students is their ignorance of the immigration rules. “Some students transfer from one institute or university to another without informing the attaché or immigration department which results in their scholarship being canceled,” he said. Marital disputes come second in the list of reasons for returning to the Kingdom, according to Al-Eissa. “The students may be too young or unable to cope with the cultural differences while others face ethical problems which lead to their deportation,” he said.

The Saudi cultural attaché in the USA recently deported two Saudi students on issues regarding jihad. In China, the Saudi cultural attaché deported five students on scholarships for forging their study reports issued by the Chinese university. Saudi Cultural Attache at the embassy in Beijing Saleh Al-Qassimi said at the time that his office had sent a letter to the university concerned to verify the academic degrees the students submitted to the embassy. The university responded by writing that the students had forged their academic reports.

(End of article)

mashkif · Joined: 17 Aug 2010 Posts: 178

teachr11 · Joined: 23 Aug 2012 Posts: 39

Mysterious · Joined: 24 Sep 2011 Posts: 170

They deserve to have scholarships taken away if that's what they're doing.

However... fake software and the likes is peopular everywhere. They can't just target the Saudis for that. Even in England, I came across many people obtaining fake softwares. That black market is everywhere.

MuscatGary · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:25 am Post subject:

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Why not? I would expect that Saudis bring in significant numbers of them every year. I would be surprised if the locals were even checked. I know that the expats are not.

VS

MuscatGary · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:29 am Post subject:

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Nothing on personal computers that I have ever heard of. We've all been dragging them around the world ever since they were invented.

There are no secret stuff on 'em... my laptop was built in China... and mailed directly to me in the US. And I expect that the same factory builds the same computers and sends them all around the world.

VS