The UAE Ministry of Economy has announced the launch of a new system that aims to develop the field of intellectual property and ways to guard against copyright infringement. The system will include the following 11 integrated initiatives:
- Innovation Hub — an online platform for UAE-based creators that provides technical guidances and assistance with the patent registration process;
- Patent Hive — to increase the overall number of patents and incentivise innovators and talents to file patent applications in the UAE;
- Emirati «Fahes» — to increase the skills and competitiveness of UAE talent, and will also offer various training programs;
- InnovLAB — to develop innovation incubators and support competitiveness;
- InstaBlock — a service to immediately respond to complaints regarding copyright infringement;
- IP SPORT — to increase the number of registered trademarks in the UAE sports sector;
- One Day TM — a service to issue a trademark registration certificate within one business day;
- IP Platform — a consolidated digital platform to aggregate and integrate data from different government departments responsible for protecting intellectual property rights;
- Hayyak — to make the UAE more attractive to global companies;
- IP School — a portfolio of intellectual property training programs available to interested users;
- Aisha — a virtual personality that informs users about intellectual property rights and answers profile questions.
These initiatives are aimed at improving the innovative and creative climate in the region by establishing a favourable yet competitive environment for inventors to bring business ideas to life.
As explained by the UAE Ministry of Economy, Abdullah bin Tuq Al-Marri, this new system will be an important stage in the country’s transition to a knowledge and innovation economy and will contribute to the improved terms and conditions for obtaining patents. These initiatives are in accordance with the objectives laid out by the “We the UAE 2031” vision to transform the UAE into a global centre for the new economy and strengthen its position among the top 15 countries in the Global Innovation Index.
The new system will be based on artificial intelligence technology and is designed to stimulate the growth of R&D based projects which will then be exported to international markets. These innovations will be implemented in four key areas:
- Promoting comprehensive protection of intellectual property;
- Reducing the infringements patent holders and innovators face;
- Resolving disputes;
- Developing a system of services for individuals and businesses to register patents.
According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, the total number of trademark applications increased by nearly 10% in 2023, while the amount of registered intellectual works was more than 29% higher than in 2022. Last year alone, the office received 3,415 patent applications, while the total number of registered patents in the Emirates reached 5,108. The growth of these indicators by the year 2022 had amounted to 19.5% and 13.7%, respectively.
These new initiatives will undoubtedly attract investments in the intellectual sphere.