The Ministry of Economy (MoE) announced that the country’s Intellectual Property (IP) sector has achieved a 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 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 since 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 wise 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 UAE’s cultural identity combines originality, heritage and loyalty to the legacy of its past, modernity, development and its leadership in the field of technological innovation, globally.
The Ministry emphasized 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, in accordance with global best practices.
MoE is keen to provide the private sector with all the necessary knowledge and support to enable it to play its role in sustainable development, as intellectual property is the cornerstone to driving economic growth and social welfare. The Ministry’s keenness to protect IP rights, especially with regard to industrial property rights for patents, is evident in its efforts to keep pace with the global developments in terms of ensuring a conducive environment that encourages investments and economic growth.
Led by its vision to lay solid foundations for a more flexible and diversified economy based on knowledge, creativity and innovation, the Ministry of Economy 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 endeavors, 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 supporting and empowering talent, and ensuring full protection for the rights of innovators, authors and creators. Furthermore, MoE remains keen to facilitate its procedures and provide its services through various online channels and digital platforms. It also allows creators, thinkers, authors, artists, illustrators, photographers, composers, designers, engineers and others capable of enriching the country’s intellectual, cultural and creative scene to submit their works through the official Ministry of Economy website (www.economy.gov.ae) or via its smart application.
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 competences 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 organizations and bodies concerned with IP; and follow up on complaints, cases and legal disputes related to intellectual property rights.
Encouraging innovation and stimulating intellectual and cultural creativity will reflect positively on the local business environment and enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of the local economy. The growing international confidence in the country’s IP protection framework will have a positive impact in raising the influx of talent and specialized competencies. In addition, it will strengthen the country’s reputation as a preferred destination for investment, employment or tourism purposes. Besides, it will enhance the UAE’s contribution to global intellectual and literary landscape, thereby positioning it as an incubator for innovators and creators and a strategic hub for projects based on technological and engineering innovation and creativity in authorship and design.
