Armenia Decides It Needs Incredibly Strict Copyright Laws
from the copy-and-go-to-jail dept
Over the years, tons of studies have suggested that strong intellectual property rights are especially damaging in poorer and developing nations. So it's always a bit of a surprise when we see such countries willing to adopt draconian copyright and patent laws. Via Michael Scott we learn that Armenia -- currently ranked 135th in the world in per capita income, is apparently preparing to put in place quite draconian copyright laws. A first offense for copyright infringement would get you fined $2,500. This in a country where the per capita GDP is somewhere between $3,350 and $5,900 depending on who you believe. Oh, and for your second copyright violation? You're facing twelve months in jail. I'd hate to find out what the "third strike" is. Of course, the BSA has estimated that 93% of software in Armenia infringes on copyrights, so basically everyone in the country who uses a computer may be close to facing a year in jail.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: armenia, copyright, copyright law
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
What the article doesn't say....
On a more serious note, making the law is one thing, enforcing it is the other. Once one bigwig is named as having pirated software the law will be changed.
Add Your Comment