Morocco cracks down on piracy

16/10/2006

Morocco has recently been taking serious steps to crack down on piracy, which is estimated to cost the country $226m per year. Authorities have recently been closing down shops and music stands that sell pirated goods. Music vendors worry that the recent crackdown could harm their businesses, while the Moroccan Copyright Office says the new measure will help domestic production.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat - - 16/10/06

[File] Pirated CDs on sale at Rabat’s Bab El Had market.

Abdellah Ouedghiri, chief of the Moroccan Copyright Office (BMDA), told Magharebia his office is taking measures to tackle piracy, which costs Morocco an estimated $226m annually. Over the last few days, the office has been running a public information campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of piracy with television and radio spots on its negative consequences and the risk of imprisonment under a new law.

The BMDA and the Moroccan Film Centre are also undertaking seizures, the most recent of which took place on Wednesday (October 11th) at Rabat's Bab El Had market. Hundreds of pirated CDs were confiscated and destroyed.

Ouedghiri, who was present during the operation, told Magharebia that CDs not bearing a BMDA mark may not be sold or purchased. "We want to support domestic production by protecting copyrights. These operations are intended to make investment in this sector more viable," he says.

Dealers fear that repeated seizures will be harmful to their interests. Ahmed Sinouna, who experienced a seizure, asserts that if CDs were more affordable, unofficial trade would not happen. His neighbour Rachid Belhcen points out, "We used to sell original CDs for 70 dirhams to 80 dirhams, but in the face of competition with cut-price pirated CDs, we had to follow suit."

Ouedghiri counters that even if prices are lowered, pirated copies will always be the cheapest available. The days when people could get away with pirating are truly over, he says, adding that new legislation will have a positive effect on copyrights.

For the first time, piracy will become punishable by a jail term (of between six months and four years) and fines could reach $68,000. The holder of a copyright or related right will be able to make a written request to the customs and indirect tax department to suspend the free circulation of goods which are suspected of being counterfeit or pirated and possibly in breach of copyright or related rights.

An interdepartmental committee set up to tackle piracy is co-ordinating the efforts of all participants in the sector through circulars from regional heads and governors. BMDA officials now have the authority to confiscate pirated goods directly without having to seek government authorisation.

While many traders earn a living from piracy, Ouedghiri says their loss of livelihood cannot be bemoaned. Otherwise, "We'll have to do the same thing with drugs and shantytowns. What we need are solutions, in particular legalisation of the informal sector."