Copyright Laws in the Arab World: A Shifting Predicament in the Digital Era

Abstract:

"Copyright protection in the Arab world has been often treated with lesser urgency than it ought to be both by governments and the public, despite the existence of some copyright and intellectual property legal framework in most countries. The study explores whether the copyright legal framework and government action are in part responsible for the relaxed attitudes towards enforcement. The paper presents data snapshots and a general review of the copyright landscape, including copyright duration provisions in the domestic laws of Arab countries as well as major copyright treaties and conventions involving them. The research sets out to demonstrate that, as countries in the region broaden their engagement in the international trading system, they also seek requisite improvements in national regulations and laws addressing intellectual property ownership and copyright. Data examined for copyright durations and international commitments for each country are based on the latest available information and intended as a reference point that would be of interest to publishing professionals, libraries, archives, and other repositories with interest in Arab countries’ copyright laws."