Tougher penalties are being brought in to enforce copyright laws in Bahrain, assistant under-secretary for press and publications department, Ahmed Al Sherooqi, was quoted by the Gulf Daily as saying Sunday.
The penalties include fining or withdrawing the license of anyone who violates intellectual property rights, he said.
Amendments to the copyright laws will soon be submitted to the cabinet, the official said, adding that work is under way to develop the copyright protection apparatus, and to turn the section into a directorate dedicated to the protection of intellectual property rights.
Sherooqi said Bahrain will join soon the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The measures adopted during the past three years to remove all pirated products from the local market were appreciated by the WIPO, he told the daily.
The number of countries belonging to WIPO now stands at 175, almost 90 percent of the world's countries.
WIPO says that this figure is a reflection of the increasing importance and relevance attached to the work of the organization.
With a staff of some 760 drawn from around the world, WIPO carries out many tasks related to the protection of intellectual property rights, such as administering international treaties, assisting governments, organizations and the private sector, monitoring developments in the field and harmonizing and simplifying relevant rules and practices, says WIPO in its website -- Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
