Copyright in Syria

The first Syrian copyright law was passed in 2001 (the year 1421 of the Islamic calendar). ^[2] This law was repealed in 2013 by Decree-Law No. 62 of 2013 - the Law on the Protection of Copyright and Related Rights. ^[one]

Syrian copyright law provides for the protection of copyright automatically, without the need to follow any formalities for all literary, scientific and artistic works, regardless of the cost of the work, the purpose for which they were created. The law protects all forms of human self-expression, including computer programs and databases. ^[3] In addition to the classic forms of copyright protection, the law also protects related rights, such as the rights of performers, ^[4] audiovisual producers, ^[5] and broadcasters. ^[6] The law also provides for a compulsory licensing mechanism ^[7] and collective rights management. ^[eight]

In the Syrian Arab Republic, copyright works have the right to protection under the copyright law, subject to the conditions: a) Works are produced and distributed by citizens of the Syrian Arab Republic on Syrian territory and beyond. b) The works are created and published in the Syrian Arab Republic by authors who choose the Syrian Arab Republic as their place of residence. c) Works are protected on the basis of cultural agreements and other agreements of Syria with other countries.

Syrian Copyright Law provides for a range of moral and economic rights.

Moral Rights

Syrian Copyright Law grants the following personal non-property rights to the author: ^[9]

• The right to decide the issue of the first publication of a work, the method and timing of publication.
• The right not to disclose the identity of the author or to use a pseudonym.
• The right to refuse any changes in the work.
• The right to reject any interference with his work that affects the honor or reputation of the author.
• The right to stop using the work if serious reasons have justified this right.

Economic Rights

Syrian Copyright Law grants the author the following economic rights: ^[10]

• The right to copy works using any means.
• The right to translate a work.
• The right to distribute the work, by sale or any other alienation.
• The right to publicly perform a work.
• The right to make a work available to the public through the Internet or in any other way.

Non-property rights, in accordance with Syrian law, are protected indefinitely, but economic rights are protected only for a certain period of time in this way:

• As a rule, all works are protected during the life of the author plus 50 years after his death. ^[eleven]
• Audiovisual works and collective works are protected for 50 years from the date of publication, and if there was no publication, then for 50 years from the date of creation. ^[12]
• Works of applied art are protected for 25 years from the date of creation of the work. ^[13]
• Databases are protected for 15 years from the moment of their creation. ^[14]

Syria is a member in the following copyright societies and organizations:

• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (acceded 2004-03-11) ^[15]
• Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (joined 2006-02-13) ^[16]
• Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (Ratified Signing 2013-03-18) ^[17]
• The Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for people who are blind, visually impaired or disabled (signed on 2013-11-22, still not ratified) ^[18]

• Syrian Arab Republic IP Laws and WIPO Treaties
• http://www.scireg.org/eng/infonews/article/syria_copyright_law_2