Intellectual property

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Apply for Ministry of Economy and Tourism's digital services, which include trademark services, patent services, industrial property and more.

Trademarks

According to Federal Decree Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, (PDF, 500KB) every object that has a distinctive form, including names, words, signatures, letters, symbols, figures, addresses, stamps, drawings, photos, inscriptions, packaging, figurative elements, shapes, colour, set of colours or a combination of such elements, or a sign or a set of signs, including 3D marks, hologram marks or any other mark used or intended to be used to distinguish the commodities or services of a particular organisation from the commodities or services of any other organisations, to indicate that a particular service is performed, or to conduct monitoring or inspection of the commodities or services, shall constitute a trademark.

Registration of a trademark

Ministry of Economy and Tourism is the competent authority to register trademarks in the UAE. You can apply online via the ministry’s website.

Copyright

According to Federal Law No. 38 of 2021 on Copyrights and Neighboring Rights, an intellectual work is any original work in the areas of literature, arts or science, whatever its description, form of expression, significance or purpose. In accordance with Article 2, the authors of intellectual work shall be protected if their rights are violated in the UAE. The following intellectual works are protected under copyright law:

books, pamphlets, essays and other written works
smart device applications, software and software applications, databases and similar works identified by a resolution of the Minister
oral and written lectures, speeches and sermons and other works of similar nature
dramatic, dramatico-musical works and dumb shows (pantomime)
musical works with or without words
audio or visual or audiovisual works
architecture works and engineering drawings and plans
works of drawing, painting, sculpture and lithography and printing on fabrics, wood, or metal or any similar works within the scope of fine arts
photographic works and similar works
works of applied and plastic arts
illustrations, geographical maps, sketches, 3D Works related to geography, topography, architectural designs etc.
derivative works, without prejudice to the protection conferred upon the works from which they have been derived.
The protection includes the title of the work, if innovated, and the innovative idea written for a broadcasting programme.

In accordance with Article 3, the law does not protect the owner of:

ideas, procedures, methods of work, mathematical concepts, principles, and abstract facts. However, it does apply to the original creations derived from them.
official documents, regardless of their native language or the language they are translated to; such text includes laws, regulations, resolutions, international conventions, judgments, awards and decisions issued by administrative committees having judicial mandate
news
works that have become common property.

Nevertheless, items mentioned under clauses 2, 3 and 4 of this Article are protected if their compilation, arrangement or any effort therein can be classified as innovation.

Intellectual work registration

Ministry of Economy and Tourism is the competent authority to register intellectual works in the UAE. To register intellectual works, you can submit an application via the ministry’s website.

Related links

Intellectual property legislations – Ministry of Economy and Tourism

Industrial property

According to Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 Concerning the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights, (PDF, 500KB) the term ‘industrial property’ includes patents, utility model certificates, industrial designs, integrated circuits and undisclosed information.

Patents

As per the above law, patent is the protection title granted for the invention.

Eligibility criteria for granting a patent

The eligibility criteria for granting a patent includes:

a new invention resulting from an innovative idea or innovative improvement
a creative step
industrial applicability.

When is a patent not granted?

A patent is not granted in the inventions and creations of:

plant or animal varieties and research or biological processes for the production of plants or animals, with the exception of microbiological processes and products resulting from such processes, as determined by the Executive Regulations of this Law
methods of diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical treatments of the human or animal body
principles, discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods
schemes, rules, computer programmes, or methods for doing business, performing mental acts or playing games
natural materials, even if purified or isolated from nature, with exception of the methods of purification or isolation of natural materials from the original environment
inventions the exploitation of which would be contrary to the public order or morality, or harmful to the health or life of humans or the environment.

Validity of the patent

A patent is valid for 20 years from the date of application or from the date of international filing.

Utility model certificate

A utility model certificate is granted for new inventions that are industrially applicable but cannot be granted a patent. The utility certificate is not granted for inventions and creations of:

discoveries of new plant or animal species, and biological methods of animal or plant production, except microbiological processes and products, as per the executive regulation of the law
methods of diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical treatments of the human or animal body
principles, discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods
schemes, rules, computer programmes, or methods for doing business, performing mental acts or playing games
natural materials, even if purified or isolated from nature, with exception of the methods of purification or isolation of natural materials from the original environment
inventions which would be contrary to the public order or morality, or harmful to the health or life of humans or the environment.

Validity of the utility certificate

A utility certificate is valid for 10 years from the date of application or from the date of international filing.

Industrial designs

An industrial design is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article that gives it a special appearance.

Eligibility criteria for granting industrial designs:

The eligibility criteria for granting industrial designs includes:

novelty
does not violate public order or morals.

Validity of industrial designs

An industrial design is valid for 20 years from the date of application or from the date of international filing.

Integrated circuit

An integrated circuit is a product, in its final or intermediate form. It includes elements, at least one of which is active, mounted on a piece of an insulating material, and forms an integral body intended to perform a specific electronic function.

Layout designs of integrated circuits

The layout-design of integrated circuits shall be protected if it is original. It shall be deemed original if the combination of its elements and interconnections is original in itself, despite the elements it consists, are commonplace among professionals of the relevant industrial art.

Validity of layout design of integrated circuits

A layout design is valid for 10 years either from the date of application or from the date of first commercial exploitation in the country or abroad, whichever is earlier.

Register a pledge of industrial property.

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