The Extent to which the Recitation of the Holy Quran is Protected According to the Law of Copyright and Neighboring Rights and the Nature of the Pertinent Right: Study under the Jordanian and the Emirati Laws

This study examines to which extent the reciting of the holy Quran is protected by the copyright and neighboring rights laws and the nature of the Quranic reader’s right according to Jordanian & UAE copyright laws. At the judicial and jurisprudential levels, this issue is still controversial. Such controversy may refer to the legislative ambiguity surrounding this issue, which agitates the debate over whether there is innovation in the recitation of the holy Quran. The study showed that there is innovation in the recitation of the holy Quran. This innovation appears through the distinguished style of the recitation and the voice of the reader. In addition, since the recitation is sort of performance, the study revealed that there is controversy among the writers as to the legal nature of the performance. Whereas some writers argue that the performance is among copyrights, others believe that it is one of the neighboring rights. Therefore, the study explored the position of Jordanian and UAE laws towards this issue. Keywords: Quranic Recitation, Copyright, Performance, Neighboring Rights