Rewriting Copyright Law Imperative

EghtesadOnline: ICT authorities in Tehran have called for the introduction of new copyright laws and a mechanism for enforcing it.

News ID: ۷۴۳۸۱۱

18 September 2017

The head of Iran’s High Council of Cyberspace Abolhassan Firouzabadi urged the judiciary “to introduce a legal framework for enforcing copyright laws” the official website of the council reported.

“The judiciary should take effective measures to protect original works of developers and put an end to online piracy.”

Iran ICT sector has grown exponentially over the years, Firouzabadi noted and said, “Unless the authorities take necessary measures, and address the legal void, a substantial part of the economy will be hampered.”

According to Financial Tribune, last week the Telecoms Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said “Iran’s outdated copyright law has hindered the ICT sector.”

According to Jahromi, local copyright laws date back to half a century and are simply unfit for modern-day business.

“The ministry will propose a new copyright bill” and after Majlis approval it will become law, he was quoted as saying.

One of the other hurdles in this and other key sectors is that the country does not recognize international copyright conventions, which has further hampered ties between local businesses and international developers.