The Copyright ( Amendment) Order 2013, which has just come into force in Brunei, will enhance further the enforcement provisions for copyright infringement by increasing penalties for offences under the Copyright Order, the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) said Thursday.
The new amendments are intended to deter infringement of copyright material particularly copies that are made for commercial purposes, the AGC said in a press release.
Under the new amendments, those who make infringing copies of a work could face a fine of 10,000 Brunei dollars (8,130 U.S. dollars ) to 20,000 Brunei dollars (16,260 U.S. dollars) for each infringing copy and imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both.
This is a significant increase from the old law, where the maximum fine that could be imposed was 5,000 Brunei dollars (4,065 U.S. dollars) and maximum imprisonment of two years or both.
The new provisions allow enforcement agencies, in relation to copyright offences, to enter premises and arrest without warrant, to stop search and board vehicles and also access to computerized and digitized data. The amendments further allow for admissibility of evidence of agent provocateurs and protect the identity of informants.
The Copyright (Amendment) Order 2013 is one of the many initiatives undertaken by Brunei to improve the protection of intellectual property. Further developments include Brunei's accession to important intellectual property treaties, as well as the laudable efforts by enforcement agencies in curbing the sale of pirated DVDs, CDs and the successful conviction of a vendor well known for selling pirated DVDs and CDs.
(Source: Xinhua)
