Parody in Copyright Laws of GCC States: Where Does It Fit?

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between parody and copyright law has not been discussed in the copyright laws of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) or in Arab states in general. Nevertheless, in the past ten years, there has been a remarkable increase in parody shows and programmes in the region, triggering the question of copyright infringement. This article therefore examines the position of parody in the copyright laws of GCC states. It considers protection of parody − as an expressive tool − under the principle of freedom of speech. As no explicit statutory or judicial guidance in relation to parody in the current national copyright laws of GCC states is found, this article argues that parody should be explicitly recognized in the copyright laws of GCC states.