According to a very interesting article on Law.com, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) — motto: Promoting a safe & legal online world — has allied itself with the grand muftis at Al Azhar in Cairo (A Fatwa on Piracy) [via Gigalaw]. "Piracy is the worst type of theft and is prohibited by Islam," declared Sheikh Ibrahim Atta Allah, the highest religious authority in Sunni Islam. The "worst type of theft"? Damn.
"Copyright is my right. Buy a license or you'll have trouble with the police," are some of the recent lyrics of Egyptian pop singer Shaban Abd el-Reheem. Of course, the song that brought the rapper fame was called, "I Hate Israel."
The BSA represents such prominent US companies as Apple, IBM and Microsoft. Perhaps these American companies haven't noticed that the Egyptian religious authorities are also calling for a boycott of American goods, according to ArabicNews.com (Grand Imam of Al-Azhar urges backing to Palestinians).
Call me crazy, but perhaps enforcing anti-piracy laws in the Arab world shouldn't really be a priority right now. Seems to me that demand for American culture should be permitted to run rampant.