Jordan has passed the appropriate intellectual property laws and is in compliance on this issue. In the area of copyrights, amendments to Jordan's Copyright Law were passed in September 1999 by parliament and provide an improved framework for protection of foreign copyrights. Amendments to the existing trademark law were approved by parliament in late 1999. A new patent law went into effect in December 1999. This law could curtail unauthorized copying of pharmaceutical products, which results in tens of millions of dollars in losses to U.S. and European pharmaceutical firms.
Software piracy is common in Jordan.
However, the new copyright law, in conjunction with one high-profile raid on several retailers of pirate software, has begun to drive the pirate software market underground. In 1998, Jordan issued a decree requiring government ministries to use licensed software. More than 30 percent of the Jordanian work force is unionized. Unions represent their membership in dealing with issues such as wages, working conditions and worker layoffs. Negotiations cover a wide range of issues, including salaries, safety standards, working conditions and health and life insurance.