The UAE Ministry of Economy has initiated efforts to expand the scope of trademark registration, now encompassing non-traditional categories such as scents, sounds, geographical indication marks, and holograms.
“For example, when you enter a hotel and immediately smell a similar perfume, now the chain of the hotel can register that smell for their brand so that nobody can use it,” explained HE Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy.
On Wednesday, the Ministry unveiled its new intellectual property (IP) system, a comprehensive framework comprising 11 integrated initiatives spanning various fields and applications within the realm of intellectual property. These initiatives are aligned to enhance the country’s innovation and creativity landscape, providing a competitive and supportive ecosystem for inventors and creators to translate their ideas into tangible business opportunities.
Furthermore, they empower national talents to effectively leverage intellectual property applications in driving innovation and economic growth.
“The new intellectual property system will significantly boost the revenues of the UAE’s intellectual property sector by facilitating the export of innovative, cutting-edge national products and services based on innovation and modern technologies to other international markets,” said HE Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy. “Additionally, it will contribute to attracting FDI to the sector by simplifying trademark and patent registrations.”
“Moreover, it will facilitate the transfer of technology from advanced industries to emerging ones through technology and knowledge usage licenses,” he added. “These factors will enhance the sector’s overall contribution to the national economy’s growth and bolster its competitiveness at both regional and global levels.”
Elaborating on the core themes underpinning the new IP system, the minister outlined four pivotal pillars. These include:
- Enhancing the overall protection of intellectual property rights
- Minimising infringements faced by patent holders and innovators
- Facilitating the resolution of IP-related disputes
- Augmenting the services offered by the Ministry to individuals and institutions seeking patent registrations
The system is underpinned by AI technology, which enables stakeholders to support the development of research and development R&D-based projects, harness the benefits of intellectual property protection, and effectively market them as national exports to foreign markets.
The newly launched IP system in the UAE consists of 11 initiatives, which aim to bolster the country’s position in the Global Innovation Index through collaboration with federal and local authorities.
Innovation Hub: An online platform providing technical guidance and assistance with patent registration for UAE creators.
Patent Hive: Aim to increase patent registrations by promoting the participation of innovators and talents, with a target of 6,000 new registrations by 2026.
Emirati’ Fahes’ initiative: Enhancing the skills and competitiveness of Emirati talents in intellectual property through top-level training and awareness programmes.
InnovLAB: Strengthening innovation incubators’ capacities, supporting their competitiveness, and assessing their effectiveness in federal and educational establishments.
InstaBlock: An immediate service addressing complaints on livestream copyright infringements.
IP SPORT: Aimed at increasing registered trademarks in the UAE’s sports sector to raise awareness of intellectual property rights.
One Day TM initiative: Expediting trademark registration certificate issuance to occur within a single business day to increase registration rates and generate additional revenue.
IP Platform: A consolidated digital platform integrating data from various government departments responsible for enforcing intellectual property rights, utilising cutting-edge technology.
‘Hayyakom’ initiative: Aimed at boosting the UAE’s appeal to global companies and enhancing its brand image in connection with the INTA Meeting, one of the most extensive trademark-focused meetings.
IP SCHOOL initiative: Developing a comprehensive portfolio of training programmes endorsed by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Virtual character ‘Aisha’: A virtual personality raising awareness on intellectual property rights and engaging with the public through events and social media platforms.
Furthermore, the IP system emphasises the importance of promoting a conducive environment for innovation and creativity, bolstering the capabilities of innovation incubators, and evaluating their effectiveness in federal and educational institutions across the country.
Responding to inquiries regarding the emerging challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of IP rights, Al Saleh acknowledged the evolving nature of these concerns. “While efforts are underway to address these challenges internationally, including ongoing studies and debates to develop comprehensive frameworks,” he told Finance Middle East. The Undersecretary stressed the importance of vigilance and collaboration in navigating this complex landscape.
“I think having a strong ecosystem for intellectual property rights will attract more investments, transfer of technology, attract talents and innovators to come and settle in UAE, enhance the performance and the growth of the UAE economy and to have more sustainable strengthen the capabilities of our private sector,” Al Saleh emphasised.