‘Authorities to intensify crackdown on software piracy’

AMMAN — The National Library Department (NLD) said on Sunday it will intensify its efforts to crack down on the sale of pirated software.

“We need to do more and we will continue our campaign to further reduce the rate and the losses resulting from software piracy,” said NLD Director General Mohammad Abbadi, who commended a recent drop in software theft in Jordan.

The commercial value of unlicensed software in Jordan reached $34 million in 2015, according to a recent survey. 

Some 56 per cent of software in Jordan is not licensed, placing the Kingdom fifth among the Arab world for the lowest use of pirated software, according to the Business Software Alliance Global Software Survey.

The figure is a marginal decrease from 57 per cent in 2013 and 58 per cent in 2014. 

“The drop is good news and it encourages us to do more,” Abbadi said.

“We will focus on confiscating devices that help merchants decode and sell pirated items in the upcoming stage,” he added.

According to Abbadi, the NLD refers around 35 cases per month to the court related to the violation of intellectual property rights.

Since the beginning of 2016, the NLD has confiscated more than 11,000 pirated CDs, DVDs and books, he said, adding that some 500 decoding devices were also confiscated during this period. 

The Jordanian Copyright Law stipulates that it is a crime to download software, music or movies that are protected by legislation. Offenders face a prison sentence of between three months and three years and a fine ranging from JD1,000 to JD6,000.