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22 April 2014Copyright

More than 70 Saudi shops closed for copyright violations

The Saudi Arabian government has ordered more than 70 shops to close temporarily after they were found selling pirated video games, movies and music.

The Copyrights Department at the Ministry of Culture and Information (MCI) said 72 shops were discovered selling items that infringed copyright.

All the shops, which will be closed between seven and 60 days, were in the city of Riyadh.

A copyright violations committee will now be brought in to determine any future punishment the shops will receive.

The committee can authorise fines ranging from SR7,000 ($1,875) to SR50,000 ($13,000) as well as ordering the permanent closure of the shop and its name printed in local media.

Following the raids, the ministry issued a warning to those that violate IP rights, saying they would be punished with “steps besides publishing names” in the media.

“The ministry doesn’t object to people using technology but it will step in when anyone starts to criminally exploit technology,” ministry spokesman Abdul Aziz Al-Mulhem said in a statement.

He added that the ministry will keep a watch on future IP infringements and will deal with “violators” of IP rights with a “firm hand”.

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