Article 12 of the Saudi Anti-Cybercrime Law

This article regulates the relationship of this law to other laws and agreements; applying the Anti-Cybercrime Law does not prejudice the provisions contained in:

• Related laws, and the article specifically mentions what relates to intellectual property rights.
• Related international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party.

In practical terms this means that this law does not repeal the provisions contained in other related laws or replace them; those provisions remain in place alongside it. If an incident relates to intellectual property rights, for example, the provisions of the laws specific to them remain applicable and are not prevented by applying this law. The article does not explain how to reconcile the provisions when there are several, and it does not name particular laws; this is a matter to be referred to those laws themselves and to the assessment of the competent authorities.

It is one of the general articles that creates neither a crime nor a penalty. It comes in the context of other general articles, including Article 11, which allows the competent court to exempt an offender who takes the initiative to report, and Article 13, which allows a judgment of confiscation of the devices, programs, and means used in the crime or the money obtained from it, and closure of the website or the place where the service is provided.

Anyone whose incident relates to more than one law, such as an attack on protected software or content, would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in cybercrime to learn which provisions apply.