Fair usage rights in the UAE?

Fair usage rights in the UAE?

"DUBAI - Blogs, being new in terms of online communication, does not have a bad impact on intellectual property rights, but development of awareness and precautionary regulations are needed to avoid violations, according to a legal advisor.

“The situation is quite different in the West as numerous blogs have become more specific, even scientific, and they have turned into a real business worth millions of dollars. Thus, IPR infringements are now a phenomenon there,” said Khalid B El Nour, Legal Advisor with Dubai Customs.

Nour said even some big news agencies have committed such violations by re-broadcasting others’ wires and feeds without permission, claiming lack of funds or financial deficit.

“Some cyber quotations may be permitted under certain policies, such as Fair Dealing in the UK, Fair Use in the US or Private Copying in Europe. Nonetheless, most copying on the Internet is illegal.”

Added to this, Nour said similar and more dangerous infringements are expected in the Arab world very soon in view of the digital explosion.

“Hence, precautionary measures are necessary not only to protect others’ rights, but also the blogger himself,” Nour told Khaleej Times on Wednesday on the sidelines of the First Arab Bloggers Conference that concluded in Ajman on Thursday."

More here

Dead Blogs

what is happening to blogging? Oman Community Blog and the UAE Community Blog are dead or breathing their last breath, is it out of fashion to blog now? is everyone twittering only? or have all the blogging expats left the Gulf?

KT: Online Forums a Risk for Website Owners

"DUBAI — Online forums catering for Dubai residents are gaining in popularity, but many run the risk of being closed down. Strict rules on defamation in the UAE mean that moderators of online forums are constantly wary about giving users free rein.
Jane Drury, editor of the immensely popular forum ExpatWoman.com, 
said that it was the responsibility of 
site owners to ensure that content 
was appropriate.

“It is undoubtedly the responsibility of site owners to do their best to ensure that content is appropriate,” she said. “But it is very difficult — well, impossible — given forums are in a live environment, for webmasters to maintain exactly the tone or content that they might wish.”

more here

UAE bloggers protected by Journalists' Association

A new article says that UAE bloggers will be protected from prosecution by a union of sorts, provided (of course), they follow a code of ethics:

"Bloggers and "virtual" journalists have the right to be protected by the Journalists' Association, provided they abide by the ethics code, including stating of facts and sources of information, avoiding defaming without tangible proof, or provoking hostility arising from religious, sectarian or race discriminations," Yousuf said.

Mohammad Yousuf, President of the UAE Journalists' Association, also said that full-time, dedicated bloggers will be allowed membership of the association.

So the question is really, who is a "full-time, dedicated" blogger? Again, in previous debates regarding this, does it include personal blogs that ocassionally do political commentary and controversial topics, or only those that are "journalistic"? And what is considered "provoking hostility arising from religious, sectarian or race discriminations"? Expats whining about locals, or vice-versa, or both? Does all of this also include comments?

It seems like a step in the right directon for sure, but certain things still seem a bit vague to me.

About a boy

Ok, we had our fun. Let's not embarrass the kid any longer.

Off you go, back to work...