Armenia Decides It Needs Incredibly Strict Copyright Laws

from the copy-and-go-to-jail dept

Fri, Jun 11th 2010 8:14am — Mike Masnick

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.

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Filed Under: armenia, copyright, copyright law

28 Comments

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Jay (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 8:22am

It boggles the mind...
So how is putting everyone in jail going to work?

Do we need another witch hunt?
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BATMAN strikes again, 11 Jun 2010 @ 8:34am

cool
smirks obama we'll now never have to worry about pesky armenians getting wealthy
only 133 other nations to go...

ACTA RULES , ACTA FOREVER
BATMAN nanananananana
BATMAN
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2010 @ 8:47am
  
  Re: cool
  ?
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- Vic, 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:12am
  
  Re: cool
  I'm not sure you can mention Batman just like that... Did you pay the license fee for that? How about a performance fee?
  8^)
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Channa (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 8:44am

remind me not to copy anything from Armenia
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- zaven (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 8:57am
  
  Re:
  Not much to copy. Unless you want some children's songs (anyone remember the children's singer Raffi)
  
  Not the news I like hearing from my home country.
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  - Vic, 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:22am
    
    Re: Re: "not much to copy"?
    There is also a very original language with it's own very original writing system. What is the authorities decide to copyright the Armenian alphabet? 8^)
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Andrew (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:02am

Excellent.
This report suggests that only 11.5% of Armenians owned a personal computer in 2006, so that's just 329,000 people facing jail time. Unfortunately these people tend to be young, educated and from higher socioeconomic groups, but never let a country's progress stand in the way of copyright reform.

(Yes, I know I've assumed 93% of computer users infringe, rather than 93% of software infringes, but they're probably not too different.)
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AJ, 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:12am

Excellent
If they do put these laws into place, perhaps the rest of the world will watch the collapse and think twice before doing something that stupid here..... or am i giving our leaders too much credit....
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- Mike42 (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:17am
  
  Re: Excellent
  Actually, the best idea is to gather as many accurate statistics now about Armenia, and then compare them yearly as long as this legislation is in place.
  Hard to argue with facts, and we should see some interesting numbers.
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  - Hephaestus (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:04am
    
    Re: Re: Excellent
    That only works if the legislation is enforced.
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  - Nina Paley (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:12am
    
    Re: Re: Excellent
    It's very hard to argue with facts, as the ongoing copyright "debate" proves. Facts aren't at all persuasive, unfortunately.
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    - Nina Paley (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:14am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Excellent
      I meant it's hard to persuade by using facts. Unfortunately, the facts bear that out.
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WammerJammer (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:16am

Bait and Switch
Pretty soon you won't know what the law is because it changes depending on the mood of the politicians (liars). Kinda restricts the travel thing because if you make a mix cd or a copy of your favorite movie to travel with, you may be busted at the border. So no more personal stuff if you want to travel and you better carry the phone number of a reputable attorney with you if you travel to any of these weird countries. In the case of Amanda Knox who was tried in some strange place in Italy, that put Italy on our family's personal no-fly list. So watch where the hell you go. Gone are the days of having your mix with you as you freely travel down the road.
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- btr1701 (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:21am
  
  Re: Bait and Switch
  > In the case of Amanda Knox who was tried in some
  > strange place in Italy, that put Italy on our
  > family's personal no-fly list
  
  As long as you and your family don't like to engage in drug-fueled sex and murder orgies, I think you'll be safe in Italy.
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:27am
  
  Re: Bait and Switch
  you could just buy music and movies
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Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:34am

A law adopted
Armenia adopts a law to appease foreign countries and content industry pressure. I would guess that we won't see much enforcement. It will probably only be selectively enforced against government opponents similar to the tax code here in the U.S.
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- Vic, 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:28am
  
  Re: A law adopted
  It will probably only be selectively enforced against government opponents
  
  Just like it's been done in lots of other former Soviet Union republics - Russia, Belarus, all other "Carjackistans".
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:36am

If more countries would adopt such measures Linux and open source music will be dominate the world.
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- senshikaze (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:56am
  
  Re:
  my thoughts too.
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NAMELESS ONE, 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:40am

@11
no
they will add secretly or covertly laws that restrict the use of such software like canada's new copyright bill

the anti circumvention rules are so draconian as to cause you HUGE grief in using open source.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2010 @ 9:44am

"I'd hate to find out what the "third strike" is."

Jail time with the TV set to constantly play "The View".
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- btr1701 (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:22am
  
  Re: Penalties
  > Jail time with the TV set to constantly play
  > "The View".
  
  No, they bring Joy Behar personally to your cell and lock her in with you.
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Hephaestus (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:06am

Hmmm 5300 people in prison now
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Hephaestus (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:12am

Hmmm 5300 people in prison now
THE NORWEGIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE, Prison Conditions in Armenia

Okay there are 5300 people in prison in Armenia.

93% of software in armenia infringes.

From the CIA Factbook the population of Armenia is 2,966,802

I dont think their prisons can handle this. Its bound to be an epic failure.
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Michael Lockyear, 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:13am

Sadly the study you cite (having followed the links) is "available to subscribers only"...ironic.
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Berenerd (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 10:34am

What the article doesn't say....
...is that the laws were written on a pirated copy of Office 97 loaded on a machine that is running on a hacked copy of windows ME.

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.
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Spaceman Spiff (profile), 11 Jun 2010 @ 11:57am

Gotta wonder
You gotta wonder who bribed the government officials that voted this bill into law...
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