Saudi Arabia approves a project for the organization of electronic publishing and blogging

the Ministry of Culture and Information, Saudi Arabia announced that it adopted the regulation of the activity of electronic publishing that has been approved after the addition of this activity to a system of Press and Publication approved by Royal Decree No. M / 32 and the date of 3/9/1421 AH.

The news agency quoted the Saudi spokesman of the Ministry of Culture and Information, Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Hazza, the regulation came in the 20 articles found mechanisms to deal with the activities of electronic publishing of all kinds, including online journals, forums, and blogs.

He added that among the articles of the Regulations describes the material forms of electronic publishing and licensed to its conditions and other electronic forms that can be recorded.

In conclusion, the spokesman of the Ministry of Culture and Information statement that the field is open to any suggestions or amendments to this regulation in accordance with the powers granted to the Minister of Culture and Information.


Regulations of the activity of electronic publishing

• Article I: Definitions

Indicate the following terms wherever used in this regulation have the meanings indicated with it's peer:

1 - Electronic Publishing: the use of modern technology in the broadcast, or send, or receive, or transfer of written information, and video, and audio; whether text, or images, or sounds, or images of fixed or mobile; for the purpose of trading.
2 - electronic newspaper: a website has a fixed address, the press provides publishing services on the web (sites that publish news, reports, investigations, articles ... etc.) are issued at regular intervals, or irregular.
3 - Forum: Website allows for its members offering a variety of topics, and interact with each other through the procedures established by him in charge.
4 - Blog: Application of Internet applications, consisting of notes, articles, diaries and personal experiences, or a description of the events and others, through text, sound, or image, with the possibility of interaction with what is written through to comment.
5 - presentation of the material site video and audio: broadcast visual materials, and audio material on the site.
6 - online advertising: providing publishing services advertising through various electronic means.
7 - broadcast via mobile phone (Messages - News - Announcements - Photos ... etc.) to broadcast on the mobile phone SMS messages via my service (SMS) and (MMS), and others, whether news or announcements, or pictures, or otherwise.
8 - URL: site created by someone to display his autobiography, and his interests, and to enable him to communicate with friends and people with common interest.
9 - e-mail groups: site continues to provide service via e-mail (e-mail) between a group of individuals; aimed at disseminating information, and interact with each other in it.
10 - E-Archive: sites that offer information documentary.
11 - Rooms dialogues: the application of Internet applications allows communication between two or more persons via the text, or sound, or image, or all of them.
12 - Blocking: Prevent a website with all the contents of the pages, or applications, or services, shall be strictly in part or in full.
13 - Person: Any user with a natural or legal person.
14 - E-mail: letters, numbers and symbols that are used to denote the site in the Internet, and enables your browser to access it.
15 - The Committee: The Committee considered a violation of Press and Publication.
16 - Department of: Management of electronic media reported procedure.
17 - Regulation: Press and Publications.
18 - Regulations: Regulations of the activity of electronic publishing (Supplement to list of publications and publishing system).
19 - The Ministry: The Ministry of Culture and Information.
20 - The Minister: Minister of Culture and Information.

• Article II: forms of electronic publishing

Include forms of electronic publication are subject to the rules, and these Regulations, the following:

1 - electronic press.
2 - sites and traditional media (television - radio - newspapers - magazines .. etc.)
3 - Forums.
4 - blogging.
5 - sites display and audio visual materials.
6 - electronic ads.
7 - broadcast via mobile phone (Messages - News - Announcements - Photos ..etc).
8 - broadcast via other messages (messages - News - Announcements - Photos .. etc).
9 - personal sites.
10 - e-mail groups.
11 - electronic archive.
12 - Rooms dialogues.
13 - any form of electronic publishing see the ministry added.

• Article III:

Activity is subject to electronic publishing in all its forms existing, or developed, with the rules and this regulation.

• Article IV: The objectives of the list of electronic publishing

Which aims to achieve this regulation has the following:

1 - aimed at supporting the electronic media.
2 - the organization of the business of an electronic publishing in the Kingdom.
3 - the protection of society from the wrong practices in electronic publishing.
4 - Statement of rights and duties of workers in the electronic dissemination.
5 - Remember the rights of persons in the establishment and registration of any form of electronic publishing.
6 - Remember the rights of persons in the case when the department concerned in the event of a complaint.
7 - support and care of the ministry of the Websites and their staff; to provide facilities to help them do their jobs.

• Article V: forms of electronic publishing licensed to

1 - electronic press.
2 - the websites of traditional media (television - radio - newspapers - magazines ... etc.).
3 - sites commercials.
4 - sites and audio visual materials.
5 - broadcast via mobile phone (Messages - News - Announcements - Photos ... etc).
6 - broadcast via other messages (messages - News - Announcements - Photos ... etc).

• Article VI: forms of electronic publishing that can be recorded

1 - forums.
2 - blogs.
3 - personal sites.
4 - e-mail groups.
5 - electronic archive.
6 - Rooms dialogues.

• Article VII: Licensing

First, the license terms

Whoever wishes to obtain a license to engage in electronic publishing activities contained in Article V of these Regulations, the following:

1 - To be a Saudi national.
2 - not less than the age of twenty years.
3 - Must have a qualification at least high school or equivalent.
4 - He should have obtained a license in accordance with the activity of media electronic publishing who wishes practiced.
5 - to be of good behavior.
6 - to have the applicant mail address is checked.
7 - select the e-mail address of the applicant.
8 - to be the editor of newspapers, e-approved by the ministry.
9 - The owner of the license status name is unprecedented to his website, this does not lead to confusion with the name name of another, and accepted by the ministry.
10 - The Minister exception of these conditions to see the rationale.

Second, the license period

One license to practice the activities of electronic publication contained in Article V of these Regulations is three years, renewable.

Third, export licenses electronic publishing activities contained in Article V of these Regulations from the Department of Licensing media reported procedure.

• Article VIII: Registration

First, the registration requirements

The person who wishes to register its website what is stated in Article VI of these Regulations, the following:

1 - To be a Saudi national, or resident in the Kingdom in a systematic manner.
2 - to be of good behavior.
3 - The Applicant's mailing address is selected.
4 - select the e-mail address of the applicant.
5 - that the site is to be registered in place.
6 - The Minister exception of these conditions to see the rationale.

Second, is recording the location of electronic publication contained in Article VI of these Regulations, the department concerned.

Third, government agencies, educational institutions, and research institutions, scientific societies, and literary clubs, cultural, and sports on their registration with the Ministry.

• Article IX: Update license data or Register

The owner of the license, or who registers his website update his information in the event of stopping its activity, or to incorporate it, or add a new activity, or change address, name or location of the department concerned, within one month of the procedure.

• Article X: assignment of the license or register

A person granted a license, registration or waive it to others, according to the following conditions:

1 - submit an application to the Ministry.
2 - fill in forms so special to the department concerned.
3 - provide the license terms, or to register, contained in Article VII and Article VIII of this Regulation in a person's assignee.

• Article XI: the death of the licensee, or register

If died of his license, registration or license may be transmitted, or register for the heirs, according to the following conditions:

1 - heirs to submit an application therefore to the department concerned within six months from the date of the death of the owner of the license or registration.
2 - If you exceed the submission of the application for six months from the date of death will be the license, or registration vulnerable to cancellation; unless the heirs convincing excuse accepted by the ministry.
3 - The license or registration of the name meets the conditions set forth in Article VII and Article VIII of this Regulation.

• Article XII: cancel the license or register

May cancel the license or registration in any of the following cases:

1 - If the request of the licensee, or register it.
2 - If the applicant traveled outside the country's final journey.
3 - If the owner died license, or registration, and he had no heir, or has had a legacy and did not apply for the transfer of the license, or registration in his name, after the death of deceased more than six months, unless an excuse acceptable to convincing the ministry.
4 - If a decision of the commission.
5 - If a sentence to do so.

• Article XIII: control of electronic publishing

Without prejudice to the responsibility of what is published is not subject to electronic publishing in all forms of censorship by the administration concerned.

• Article XIV: the responsibility of the content in electronic publishing

1 - editor of the online newspaper, or his deputy in his absence, is responsible for the content publication.
2 - Without prejudice to the responsibility of chief editor of the online newspaper, or his deputy in his absence, the text is the author responsible for what is in it.
3 - The owner of the license, or to register, identify the person responsible for the content publication.
4 - The owner of the license or registration charge in case you do not specify responsible for the content publication.
5 - is responsible for the content published on behalf of all inherent in his absence.
6 - the supervisor of any of the forms of electronic dissemination of government bodies, educational institutions, and research institutions, scientific societies, and literary clubs, cultural, and sports, and director of the body that issued it are responsible for what is published under the provisions of the system and these Regulations.
7 - responsible for the content on personal sites are the owner of the site.
8 - is the assignee of the license, or registration, responsible for the content published on the previous period of the waiver.

• Article XV

The ministry is the authority entrusted with the investigation and accountability in the irregularities and complaints of electronic publishing, not inconsistent with the regulations, which oversees the application of other government agencies.

• Article XVI

Sufficiency of the evidence in an abuse investigation record, or testified, or reply to the list of the proceedings against him, and the right or his deputy in the request to appear before the Committee.

• Article XVII: sanctions

Without prejudice to any severer penalty provided for by the other system, anyone who violates a provision of the death, or more of the following:

1 - the obligation to publish correct content.
2 - fine for the right genral.
3 - Compensation for the right sector.
4 - partial blocking of the link in question.
5 - blocking the temporary URL to a period not exceeding two months.
6 - blocking the total link site.

• Article XVIII: controls the enforcement of sanctions

1 - The Department is concerned with the implementation of what passed for sanctions from the Commission; and so inform the owner of the license or registration under the letter sent to his e-mail, or mailing address, or hard.
2 - Pay the fine by a check on behalf of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, or the payment system.
3 - follow the administration concerned the implementation of resolution of the right genral, the right sector.
4 - If the decree blocking the death of both types raise it to the Department of the Saudi Communications Commission to implement this part of the resolution.

• Article XIX: General Provisions

1 - Registration for websites owners to be practicing for their activity-mail personal names, and if their desire to use the name as an attribute of a commercial site, they should bring proof of ownership of the name of the competent authority.
2 - The provisions of this regulation system and the owners of the means of electronic publishing of Saudis and expatriates working in Saudi Arabia.
3 - The provisions of this order and regulation on foreign websites that are hosted in the range of Saudi Arabia.
4 - The owner of the license, or register by selecting the host, and update the data if there has been no change.
5 - subject to working in the electronic media in their contracts, and disputes relating to those contracts to the provisions of the regulations in force in the Kingdom.
6 - Department of the Interior reported receiving complaints of electronic publishing and the completion of all investigations, records, papers and documents required, and then submitted to the Committee for consideration and appropriate decision.
7 - no licensing or registration of the means of electronic publication does not relieve the owner from responsibility about what has been published electronically.
8 - breaches of electronic publishing, which is described of being a crime, and reportedly circulated in the system (Combating IT crimes) The complaint in which the competent authorities into the application of this system.
9 - to all the owners of e-activities contained in Article V of these Regulations to correct their work within six months from the date of publication of this list.
10 - who did not hasten to correct and put it within the prescribed period is contrary to the provisions of the Law and these Regulations.
11 - take into account in any content published through the media and electronic publishing regulations concerning intellectual property rights.

• Article XX: Publish the list

These regulations are published in the Official Gazette, and shall be effective after one month from the date of publication.