The initiative for this Casebook was taken by the Cooperation for
Development Bureau for Arab Countries of WIPO. It should thus be
noted that its content has taken into account general trends in Arab
legislation. For example, the section on moral rights in the part dealing
with civil law is particularly well developed, as the laws of most Arab
countries are closely aligned with those of civil law systems, in which
moral rights are of significant importance.
Four leading and well-respected experts from different legal
backgrounds contributed to this publication: Professor David Vaver,
from Oxford University (United Kingdom) provided the part related to
common law; Professor Pierre Sirinelli, from Paris I University (France)
was responsible for the part on civil law; Professor Hossam Loutfi, of
the Cairo University (Egypt) authored the part on Arab countries; and
the outline and structure of the book were established by Professor
Victor Nabhan, formerly of Laval University (Canada) and currently a
WIPO consultant.
I am convinced that this comparative study will make an important
contribution to a better understanding, and hence a sound
implementation, of the legislation in those developing countries where
copyright law is an emerging field.
I congratulate those who contributed to this excellent work, which fills
a need for practical information in the copyright field.
I also wish to extend my special thanks and appreciation to the
Regional Bureau for Arab States of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) for its full support of the objectives of this
publication and its financial commitment thereto.
Dr. Kamil Idris
Director General
World Intellectual Property Organization
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FOREWORD
