The availability of technically-skilled labor in Jordan gives the Kingdom a competitive advantage as a regional sales and servicing center. The General Supplies Department is the Government's central procurement agency. Direct bids for tenders financed by international donors or the World Bank are permitted as stated in tender documents. Jordan is not a member of the Berne Convention. The five-year old Copyright Law has reportedly been amended to address inadequacies, but the amendment has been pending since April 1997.
Jordanian law requires registration of copyrights, patents and trademarks.
Without registration, foreign products do not have protection. Under the Copyright Law of 1992, all works must be registered at the Department of National Libraries, under the Ministry of Culture. Patents must be registered with the Registrar of Patents and Trademarks at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Due to weak IPR enforcement, the act of registering copyrights, trademarks and patents does not necessarily guarantee protection. However, registration allows the U.S. company to pursue a court case if its rights are violated.