JORDAN CONTINUES TO RAID IPR VIOLATORS, AFFIRMING ITS

UNCLAS AMMAN 001782 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, INL/AAE, AND EEB STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR (GROVES, FRANCESKI) STATE PLEASE PASS TO USPTO (LEIFMAN, REVES) STATE PLEASE PASS TO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR SNAR JO SUBJECT: JORDAN CONTINUES TO RAID IPR VIOLATORS, AFFIRMING ITS IMPROVED ANTI-PIRACY RATING REF: A) AMMAN 1695 B) AMMAN 946 C) AMMAN 545 ¶1. (U) Recent anti-computer software piracy raids by Jordan's National Library (NL),the agency mandated with enforcing Jordan's copyright laws, demonstrate that Jordan is continuing to take credible steps to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) in the country. The National Library's Deputy Director Mahmoud Abadi confirmed to EconOffs an August 2 business website report (zawya.com) of a recent NL raid of a computer store for software piracy. Citing an example of NL's aggressive efforts, Abadi told EconOffs that National Library officers raided the Majdi Mall computer store, a major shopping outlet for middle income families, on July 22 because it had been installing pirated software on its assembled computer hard drives. The case has been transferred to the General Prosecutor for action. ¶2. (U) Commenting on the case, Abadi said, "this is a daily activity for the National Library." He told EconOffs that they also raided several smaller computer shops for software piracy in Amman's Gardens street area on August 3. He reported that he was in the process of transferring to the prosecutor ten additional cases against piracy violators in Ramtha, a small town on the Syrian border, and in Irbid, Jordan's third largest city. Abadi said that the NL transfers an average of 50 copyright infringement cases every month to the General Prosecutor. ¶3. (U) Recent efforts by the National Library and the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM) affirm Jordan's steady improvement in IPR protection and in confronting software piracy (ref A). According to a May 2009 global piracy study published by the Business Software Alliance (BSA),Jordan ranks sixth on the most improved computer piracy rating list with 6% improvement between 2004 and 2008. The report shows that Jordan has achieved a sustained decline in piracy levels since 2004 and managed to reduce piracy to 58% for 2008, a 2 percent drop from 2007. Jordan is now below the regional Middle East average of 59%. The USG has provided the NL and JISM with training and other forms of support for IPR protection and both institutions have emphasized to EmbOffs that USG assistance has directly contributed to recent successes in IPR enforcement. Visit Amman's Classified Website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman MANDEL