Albania

[AL] Amendments to Copyright Legislation

IRIS 2003-7:1/27

Hamdi Jupe

Albanian Media Monitoring Center

On 15 May 2003 the Government of the Republic of Albania passed a draft law in order to strengthen the protection of copyrights relating to electronic media in Albania. The draft contains amendments to the Law No. 8410 of 30 September 1998 "On public and private radio and television in the Republic of Albania".

At present, the issue of copyright relating to the electronic media in Albania has not been resolved satisfactory. The only clause in the above-mentioned Law states that in the case of a dispute regarding copyright, the opposing parties may take legal action. Having monitored three years of experience of the clause in the question of private radio and television, some structural weakness could be outlined regarding the protection of electronic media against piracy.

The new amendments intend to clarify the rules for prevention from piracy and to establish stronger sanctions. Sanctions may range even to suspension of the licence of an operator who does not respect the copyrights. Imposing such sanctions shall be within the competence of the Keshilli Kombetar i Radiotelevizioneve (National Council of the Radio and Television), the state authority licensing and monitoring the activity of the electronic media in Albania. In addition, radio and television stations shall be obliged to conclude official agreements with their partners, in the case of re-broadcasting programs that are not their own productions.