UAE’s Intellectual Property sector achieves significant growth in 2020

The Ministry of Economy (MoE) has announced that the country’s Intellectual Property (IP) sector has achieved significant growth in the number of works during the past year 2020, as it witnessed a growth of 70 per cent compared to that of 2019.

This is the latest in a series of achievements accomplished by the UAE and consolidates its global position as a preferred destination and incubator for innovators, creators and entrepreneurs in intellectual, literary and cultural fields.

The Ministry indicated that the total number of intellectual works reached 24,317 so far. It hit the highest number ever in 2020 with 2,772 intellectual works, while the year 2019 saw the registration of 1,632 works, recording a growth of 32 per cent compared to 2018.

The total number of works registered in 2018 was 1,233, while the number of intellectual works registered from the beginning of 2021 until now stands at 900.

The IP sector’s growth reflects the efficiency of the UAE’s approach and the directives of its leadership in developing the country’s intellectual property environment, creativity and innovation, to enhance its contribution to the global innovation landscape by highlighting the UAE’s unique cultural identity.

The Ministry emphasised that intellectual property works play an important role in creating and providing an enabling environment for innovation. It contributes to the establishment of a framework that facilitates the exchange and sharing of new technologies across the world, by building on the Ministry’s efforts in this regard. This will be achieved in partnership with the concerned authorities within the country and will include the development of legislation governing the IP sector, its various activities and fields, following global best practices.

The Ministry continues to update the regulatory and legislative frameworks on an ongoing basis. It strives to create an environment conducive to the growth and prosperity of intellectual, literary and scientific endeavours, given its importance in consolidating the UAE’s reputation globally and increasing these sectors’ contributions to the national economy.

MoE, represented by the Department of Trademarks and Intellectual Works, provides all means to guarantee the prosperity of original thought, culture, art and literature and guaranteeing their ownership rights. It strives to preserve and protect intellectual property in general and intellectual works in particular.

Intellectual works include all original works or projects in the fields of literature, arts, sciences, innovation, culture and all other similar categories.

The Ministry continues to exert unremitting efforts to encourage innovation and protect talent and has forged several bilateral and international agreements aimed at empowering talent and ensuring full protection for the rights of innovators, authors and creators.

Furthermore, Ministry of Economy remains keen to facilitate its procedures and provide its services through various online channels and digital platforms.

The categories of intellectual works vary and include written works; drawings; music compilations; derivative works; audio works; photographic works; lectures, engineering designs, software and smart applications.

This diversity reflects the amount of responsibility entrusted to the management of intellectual works, the importance of its role in regulating intellectual works in all respects, developing the country’s IP and innovation environment, and ensuring an atmosphere that attracts creators and pioneers of thought, culture and art from all over the world and enhancing their confidence in the country’s ability to protect their IP rights.

The scope of competencies of the Trademarks and Intellectual Works Department include receiving and following-up requests for registration of IP rights; depositing works of natural and legal persons; maintaining a database of intellectual works; coordination with Arab and international organisations and bodies concerned with IP; and follow up on complaints, cases and legal disputes related to intellectual property rights.