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.

New site: The Substitute Cook©

Just a post about a new food site (done by me :p):

The Substitute Cook©

For more on concept, visit the site.

Enjoy :)

Iran: death for blogging

Via Aqoul, a chilling report from Iran on moves to toughen punishment for "harming mental security" which could see bloggers condemned to death:

The text lists a wide range of crimes such rape and armed robbery for which the death penalty is already applicable. The crime of apostasy (the act of leaving a religion, in this case Islam) is also already punishable by death.

However, the draft bill also includes "establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy", which is a new addition to crimes punishable by death.

Those convicted of these crimes "should be punished as 'mohareb' (enemy of God) and 'corrupt on the earth'," the text says.

Quite apart from the ludicrousness of the death penalty as an appropriate punishment for political dissent or religious debate or even dissent, would anyone trust corrupt officials not to abuse this law? As soon as a blogger/citizen journalists criticises them or exposes their corruption, how easy to falsely accuse them of being an "enemy of God" or harming public order and get them killed and out of the way forever.

As Iran escalates backwards to the stone age, our thoughts and wishes for safety go to all Iranian bloggers.

Secret Dubai diary by email

Since the mirror appears to be blocked, and I don't want to move it to a new blogspot domain (eg secretdubai2.blogspot) for fear of getting the entire blogspot domain banned, if you want to read my blog and can't, feel free to sign up via email using the form below:

I will put the (still unblocked) comments links on all new posts from now.

You can also try Google Reader to read my blog or any other blog.

New members

I just found a stack of emails I had overlooked processing from people who wanted to become UAE comm members. Really sorry to you all for the delay.

Don't forget to encourage any friends/family that blog or are interested in blogging to become members. Joining UAE community is an easy way to be involved with blogging without having to necessarily have your own blog.

Greetings from Mars

Hi everybody,

This post is just a big "Hello" to everyone. My next post will be a little more informative. But for now a big smile, wave and ALOOOOOOOOOOOOHA!

PS: You're more than welcome to visit my blog anytime, as well as comment :)

No more sex in dubai

It appears Etisalat has decided to block the popular blog Sex and Dubai.

EDIT by SD: Please click here to sign a petition to get the blog unblocked.

Grazr widget

I just found this Grazr widget and it's brilliant - a way you could embed multiple blogs on one website:

I can think of a lot of possibilities for it: for example an expandable archive posts list to put in your side column.

blogging

From Mahmood's Den...

"I loved what the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in the UAE, Dr. Anwar Gergash said in response to a question by the moderator which he laid out how blogs should be regarded as far as laws are concerned and that is the traditional press should use the strictest rules of journalistic ethics, a little bit more leeway should be given to TV and radio, while blogs should be the least controlled, and their owners most certainly should not be chased with libel lawsuits.

Why? He explained that theory specifically well which demonstrates his deep understanding of new media in general and his preparedness to accept criticism. He said that there should be a separation between news and opinions; news must be reported with full journalist ethics as the cascading effects of reporting incorrect news might have some adverse reactions; while in the case of opinions and comments, those should be regarded as the essence of freedom of expression and their instigators should be left alone. I suspect he also holds the opinion that if someone takes umbrage with those opinions, then they should be resolved by posting a response to that opinion or comment, or even creating a blog and posting their competing thoughts on that.

Dr. Gergash says that he follows blogs as he gets the raw information from them, rather than the editor doctored content from the traditional main stream media. He says that if there are 4 television stations in a country and maybe 30 newspapers, there are more than 500 blogs in that country possibly and if those 500 bloggers are talking about a unique particular subject then that has weight and indicates the unadulterated feeling on the street. Something that you cannot get from traditional media."

-- from here