The President
According to the provisions of the Constitution
and the approval of the People’s Assembly in its session of 26/11/1421 A.H. concurrent with 19/2/2001 A.D., the following is issued:
Chapter I
Definitions
Article 1:
In enforcement of the law herein, the following expressions shall have the meanings corresponding there:
Ministry: Ministry of Culture
Minister: Minister of Culture
Author: Whomever the work is published related to, whether by mentioning his name on the work or by any other means (to include assumed names) unless otherwise is proved.
Work: The cognitive means that includes a literary, scientific or artistic creative production no matter what its quality or importance is, and whatever means of expression are used, or the reason for its classification might be.
Performers: Actors, musicians, singers, dancers, recitals and others who perform an artistic work whether literary, or artistic in a way or another.
Distribution: Transmitting or communicating the work to the public either by direct or indirect means; reproducing or transcribing such work in whole or in part that could be read, heard, seen or performed.
Copyright: The group of moral and material rights entitled to a person for his work.
Chapter II
Scope of Protection
Article 2:
Works entitled for protection according to the stipulations of the law herein are :
a) Works produced and distributed by citizens of the Arab Republic of Syria and similar stance, in the Syrian territory and abroad.
b) Works produced and published in the Arab Republic of Syria by authors who take the Arab Republic of Syria as their selected domicile.
c) Works protected through the provisions of cultural agreements and other agreements to which the Arab Republic of Syria is committed.
Article 3:
All works are protectable according to the stipulations of the law herein, such protection shall cover the following :
a) Written works "books, booklets, brochures, pamphlets, manuscripts, lectures and similar written material".
b) Artistic works (theatrical and musical" whether in a digital encrypted form or not" and whether accompanied by words or not in addition to cinematography, broadcast, televised, lyrical, eurythmic, pantomime and music composing works.)
c) Works of plastic and applied arts and photography.
d) Works of drawings, geographic maps and designs related to topography, architecture or science.
e) Works of computer software to include design documents and data thereof. Protection shall include the title of the work unless such title is a common term indicating the subject matter of the work.
Article 4:
The protection prescribed by the law herein shall not include the following :
a) Groups of official documents such as laws, decrees, regulations, international agreements, judicial judgments, decisions of the administrative authorities and all other official documents and the official translation thereof.
b) Daily news whether published, broadcast or publicly announced.
Chapter III:
Copyright
Article 5: The author of the protected work alone is entitled to publish such work and to select the means of publishing. The author alone, and whoever he assigns in writing, may financially exploit the work by any means or in any from; no third parties are entitled to the same without a written authorization of the author or his successors.
Article 6:
The author alone is entitled to introduce whatever amendment or change to his work. The author may see to the translation of the work. Third parties are not entitled to such rights without a written authorization of the author or his successors.
Article 7:
The work shall be related to its author by mentioning the name of the author on any works stipulated in Articles 5 and 6 herein, except in cases where the work is introduced within broadcast or televised current events.
Article 8:
The author or his assignees may refute any violation to his work and to prevent any distortion, misrepresentation, alteration or any damage that may cause harm to the author morally or materially. The author may claim compensation for the same; such right shall also be entitled to the heirs.
Article 9:
Short adaptation, quotation or analysis of the published work shall not be deemed an infringement to the author’s rights if intended for criticism, discussion, education or information as long as the work is referred to together with the author’s name (if known).
Article 10:
The creditor holding a written document against the author (i.e. agreement, contract or debenture) may provisionally seize the published copies of the author’s work published on the author’s expense. Such seizure may not be applied to the authors right to publish the work or disclaim the work to the author or deny the author’s right to defend his work against any infringement or draw back his work form circulation.
Article 11:
Buildings constructed according to illegal adaptation of an architectural design and drawings may not in any manner be subject to seizure, confiscation or destruction in protection of the architect’s creativity rights.
Article 12:
The author of a scientific or literary work is entitled to draw back his work from circulation or ban such circulation provided that the author indemnifies the damaged party by an appropriate compensation.
Article 13:
Television and broadcasting organizations are entitled to ban any exploitation of their programs without prior written authorization. Retransmission transcription, rental or sale of such programs, to the public shall be deemed illegal exploitation of the work.
Article 14:
The author may assign to third parties the rights of exploitation as expressed in the provisions of Articles 5 and 6 of the law herein. Such assignment shall be in writing with specific definition of each right separately.
Article 15:
If property of an original work is assigned to other parties, such assignment shall not include copyright, yet the assignee may offer such work to the public without having the right to re–assign or copy such work, unless otherwise agreed.
Article 16:
Producers of a picture are not entitled to display, publish or distribute the original or copies of such picture without the consent of the individuals displayed in the picture. Such stipulation shall not be enforceable if the display of the picture was in the event of public occurrence, was of public figures or was approved by the Ministry for the interest of public welfare. The figure personified may allow publication of the picture in books, newspapers, magazines and similar means even without the consent of the picture producer ,unless otherwise agreed. Such stipulations shall be enforceable on all types of pictures whether produced by means of photography, drawing, painting, engraving, sculpture or any other means.