The Saudi Minister of Information, Fuad Al-Faresi, stated in the opening session of the Symposium for Raising Awareness of Copyright and Neighboring Rights, that the aim of the of this gathering is to emphasize the importance of protecting IP rights. Further he stressed that eliminating infringements and advancing the efficiency and comprehension among the employees of the competent authorities would greatly strengthen the enforcement of IP laws.
The Under-Secretary in the M.O.I. indicated in his speech that the symposium is the end result of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Council of Ministers of Culture. The Symposium’s main target audience is the Law Enforcement Personnel, judicial authorities, lawyers and IP experts in each country of the GCC.
The Symposium coincided with the M.O.I. ‘s preparation of a draft law for a new Copyright Law that reaches the rapidly developing international standards and will meet with the requirements for the KSA’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
During the Symposium, several lectures covering diverse topics such as “Intellectual Property Rights in KSA” and “ Intellectual Property in Islamic Sharia”. The Counselor of Copyright in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Dr. Victor Nabhan, also spoke on the topic of “ International Agreements on Copyrights”.