UAE amending Copyrights Law

The government is amending the UAE Copyrights Law of 1992 to bring it in tune with international standards.

The Ministry of Information is finetuning the law, Essam Tamimi, managing partner of Al Tamimi & Co, said. "This would make the law more compatible with new developments in the knowledge industry," he said.

It was in 1997 that UAE Copy-rights Law incorporated the articles of Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) Agree-ment of 1994 through Federal Decree No. 21 when the country was admitted into WTO.

With the number of copyright violations continuing in the surrounding region, the law has gained added significance.

Article 9 of the Berne Convention specifically states that "authors of literary and artistic works protected by this convention shall have the exclusive right to authorising the reproduction of these works, in any manner or form. Any sound or visual recording shall be considered as a reproduction for the purposes of this convention."

Article 10 of the Trips agreement specifically refers to computer programs and compilation of data.

It states that computer programs, whether in source or object code, shall be protected as literary works under the Berne Convention. It is in this context the case moved by Business Software Alliance against National Engin-eering Co becomes relevant.

Though Business Software Alliance argued that National Engineering Co violated the UAE Copyright Law by copying and using multiple copies of software within a single company without authority, Dubai Court of Cassation ruled in favour of the company.

"We have seen similar cases taken through to prosecution this year in Abu Dhabi, with judgements awarded against both companies found violating the law," said Tamimi.

BSA's regional director, Jawad Al Redha, said, "We are disappointed."