President Bashar Al-Assad on Feb 28, 2001 issued the new Copyright law in Syria. The Law No. 12/2001 is a representation of the ambitions of Syria to modernize its regulations. The law is TRIPs compliant in many aspects, but will only be applicable once the implementing regulations are issued.
The law in essence includes protection of all copyrightable material ranging from written works, musical compositions to computer software. Previously Syria had no effective means of protection for copyrightable materid that cases in this respect where very difficult to prosecute.
In addition to becoming a WIPO Member, there are signs that Syria is showing genuine interest to enter the Berne Convention within the coming year. this reveals Syria's endearor to enhance its position and improve its Intellectual Property laws. The text of the law in English is provided on page 4 of this bulletin.