A Royal Decree was issued on April 6, 2005, approving the amended Jordanian Copyright Law No. 9 for 2005. The law entered into force on the day of its publication in the Official Gazette.
The law incorporated provisions dealing with the rights of producers of phonograms and broadcasting organizations as a result of Jordan’s accession to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty on May 24, 2004.
According to Petra News Agency, the new law gives the author the right to exploit his work in any way he chooses. No other person may exercise this right without his written permission or the permission of his successors.
The law further does not allow any third party to use one or more copies of the work by persons using them for rental, lending, or other actions related to displaying the work to the public.
The new amended law added paragraph (B) to Article (13), which clarified the issue of financial exploitation of the work.
The amendments also stipulated that the performer has the right to prohibit others from fixating his non-fixated performance, reproducing any fixation of the performance, or transmitting his performance by wireless means and conveying it to the public without his consent.
In addition, the new law recognizes phonogram producers’ rights, and allows them to directly and indirectly reproduce and distribute their work.
Furthermore, rights of performers and producers of phonograms shall be protected for 50 years, while rights of the broadcasting organizations shall be protected for 20 years as per the new amended law.
Finally, in case of suspicion that a violation of the provisions of this law is being committed by a business which prints, produces, reproduces, or distributes works, the employees of the Copyright Office shall have the right to search this business, seize the copies and all the material used in committing these violations, and refer these items together with those committing these violations to court. The minister may also petition the court to close the business.