‘Crackdown to target channels broadcasting programmes without licence’

AMMAN — The National Library Department (NLD) will conduct a campaign next week to crack down on satellite channels that broadcast dramas and programmes without obtaining the required approval from copyright holders, its director said Thursday.

The NLD team has already prepared a list of satellite channels broadcasting from Jordan and will check on all of them to verify whether they are abiding by the Jordanian Copyright Law, NLD Director General Mohammad Abbadi told The Jordan Times.

“In Ramadan, the number of satellite channels broadcasting dramas and all kinds of programmes without the proper licence increases. This is a violation of copyrights and violators will be fined and referred to court,” Abbadi said.

Noting that the campaign will cover all satellite channels in the country, he added that the NLD will continue its inspection campaigns on sales of pirated items.

A report issued last month indicated that software piracy in Jordan dropped by 1 per cent in 2013, and the Kingdom was among five Arab states with the lowest illegal use of unlicensed software.

The Business Software Alliance study showed that the commercial value of unlicensed software in Jordan amounted to $35 million in 2013 compared to $31 million in 2011.

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

The NLD has referred more than 4,000 cases of intellectual property rights violations to court since 2000.