The Publications Department has issued a decision to close down a videotape store in Manama, Bahrain, for one week due to the contravention of the Copyright Law of Bahrain.

The raid and closure come in the framework of the Bahrain Ministry of Information's diligence in implementing the Copyright Law and combating piracy. The Department had discovered the piracy in previous investigative rounds on the stores which sell and lease videotapes, phonograms, CD-Roms and diskettes.

The store-keeper was caught reproducing videotapes illegally and marketing them without the consent of the copyright holders. Other store owners in the area of that store said that infringing store-keepers were fully aware of the Copyright Protection Law and the measures taken by the Publications Department, but would not heed the measures, thinking that they were non-accountable since the pirated copies were sold among piles of authorized copies.

The Departments measures are being enforced on all stores regardless of size or location.

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