On November 29, the Parliament of East Timor approved the country's first Code of Copyright and Related Rights, intended to protect the creation, production and commercialization of literary, scientific and artistic works and their respective authors.
This law, which will come into force 180 days after its publication, proves to be an essential regulatory basis for the recognition of national innovation and culture, rewarding its authors and thus stimulating the creation of new intellectual assets in the most diverse areas of expression.
The Code of Copyright and Related Rights is also essential for the integration of East Timor into global markets, ensuring valuable recognition of its authors, as well as the exercise of copyright and related rights in contractual relationships with the various players in the industry.
The code provides prison sentences and fines for various crimes associated with copyright, including counterfeiting, usurpation, violation of moral rights, or exploitation of counterfeit or usurped work.
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