RIYADH, 26 May 2007 — Gulf governments have been urged to step up efforts to fight pirated media and stolen pay-TV channels in the region. “We have problems in the Gulf, even in Saudi Arabia, with compounds having cable systems that do not pay us for our content,” said Greg Sweeting, Showtime’s vice president for legal and business affairs. Sweeting urged the authorities to work aggressively to safeguard intellectual property rights and combat piracy. “The enormous problem of piracy is threatening to undermine jobs, expertise and massive investments brought to the region by legitimate entertainment providers.”