Copyright Piracy & Kuwait

• Kuwait on US Copyright Piracy Priority Watch List
• Kuwait, along with a few other countries, has been placed on the US copyright piracy priority watch list. In its report, the Office of the US Trade Representative stated the following about Kuwait:
• "Kuwait is being maintained on the Priority Watch List this year due to its high rates of copyright piracy and its lack of progress in amending its copyright law to meet international obligations."
• "Furthermore, Kuwait has not yet fully implemented the 2002 work plan that outlined the steps it would take to increase IPR enforcement. In 2004, IPR enforcement efforts remained insufficient and penalties for infringement remained inadequate to deter potential offenders. Kuwait proposed a draft copyright law in 2004, which has not yet been passed by Kuwait’s legislature."
• "The U.S. copyright industry reports that Kuwait continues to have high levels of retail optical disc piracy, as well as problems with corporate end-user software piracy, cable piracy, and Internet piracy."
• "We urge Kuwait to improve the situation by making public declarations at the highest level that piracy in Kuwait will not be tolerated, increasing the frequency of raids on suspected infringers, prosecuting offenders, imposing deterrent sentences, publishing the outcomes of inspection raids in order to deter others, and amending its copyright law in the near future to correct its deficiencies."
  
• "Kuwait has made some progress, such as Kuwait Customs’ creation of a special IPR unit in April 2004 that began taking some enforcement actions. The Ministry of Commerce also stepped up enforcement efforts in late 2004."
  
• "Although these are positive steps, we hope that key ministries with IPR enforcement responsibilities, including the Ministry of Information, will take further measures to combat IPR infringement over the long term. We will continue to address these issues under the U.S.-Kuwait Trade and Investment Framework Agreement signed in February 2004."
• For the full report click here