Hariri at Media Piracy Conference: Bids to Strain Lebanon-Arab Ties is Piracy Too

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday likened to “piracy” the attempts of some political parties to strain Lebanon's ties with Arab countries.

“Politics is being subjected to piracy and some voices which aim to strain Lebanon's ties with its Arab brothers is also considered piracy,” said Hariri at the opening of a conference on Protecting Media Creativity from Piracy at the Grand Serail.

“The presidential achievement we made in Lebanon represented in the safety and stability for the entire Lebanese is also be subject to piracy,” he noted, in reference to some criticisms “undermining” the governmental achievements.

The Prime Minister affirmed that the “government is ready to take any step that increases the ability to enforce laws and accelerate the workshop to modernize it in order to protect media creativity from piracy.”

For his part, Information Minister Melhem Riachi said: “Efforts are being exerted towards the development of a cybercrime law, pending international agreements on the protection of intellectual property, industries and artistic works.”

He called on the Prime Minister to form a general parliamentary committee specialized in the protection of intellectual property.