Copyright Registration
UAE Copyright Registration Law:
Copyrights to work in the UAE is governed within the provisions of Federal Law No. 7 of 2002 on Copyrights and its related works (“Copyrights Law”). According to the UAE Copyright registration Law, any novel and original work, whether in literature, science, or art, irrespective of its form of expression, description, purpose, and significance, is considered an intellectual work is falling within the ambit of Copyrights.
The following are considered to be intellectual work falling within the ambit of Copyrights and are more so protectable within the provisions of the Copyright registration Law, they being:
- Books, booklets, articles, and other literature
- Computer software and applications, databases, and similar works are defined in a decision issued by the Minister of Economics.
- Lectures, speeches, sermons, and other works of similar nature
- Plays, musicals, and pantomimes
- Musicals are accompanied by dialogues and musicals which are not accompanied by dialogue.
- Audio and video works or audio-visual works
- Architectural work and architectural plans and drawings
- Drawings, paintings, sculptures, etchings, lithography, screen printing, reliefs and intaglio prints, and other similar works of fine art
- Photographic work and the likes
- Works of applied art and plastic art
- Charts, maps, plans, 3-D modeling for geographical and topographical applications and architectural designs etc.
- Derivative works, subject to the protection afforded to the work(s) upon which they are based. The protection shall extend to the title of the work if created and the creative concept devised for broadcast material.
Protection under the UAE Copyright Registration Law does not include abstract principles, facts, ideas, concepts (mathematical), work methods, and procedures but shall, however extend to the creative expression of any thereof.
Similarly, protection under UAE Copyrights Law is not maintainable for the below appearing works:
- Official documents which include laws, regulations, court decisions, arbitral awards, international conventions and decisions issued by administrative committees having judicial competence.
- News and information on current incidence, events and happenings which are mere informational releases.
- Works fallen in public domain.
It is to be noted that the above exceptions are entitled to Copyrights protection under the UAE Copyrights Law if the compilation, arrangement, or effort deployed in relation to such works are innovative and novel.
The Ministry of Economy is regarded as the competent Authority for registering Copyrights in the UAE.
How do you register copyright in UAE?
To register a Copyrights, one can submit an online application via the ministry’s website along with the following documents:
- Copy of the work seeking registration of Copyrights.
- Identification of the author.
- Information of the actual owner (if any).
- Contact details of the applicant.
In addition to submitting the aforesaid documents vide then ministry’s website, the applicant would be required to pay the fee as specified as well as the rendering of any additional document and/or information as and when may be requested by the competent Authority.
In accordance with the UAE Copyright Registration Law, once an application has been successfully approved and the applicant has obtained a registration certificate for the Copyrighted work, the economic rights to the Copyrighted work would be protected for the duration of the authors’ life plus 50 years starting from the first day of the calendar year following his death. Economic rights of applied artworks shall expire pursuant to the completion of 25 years, commencing from the first day of the calendar year following its first publication.
Intellectual work registration:
Ministry of Economy is the competent authority to register intellectual works in the UAE. To register intellectual works, one can submit an online application via the ministry’s website.
Duration of protection:
According to Article 20 of Federal Law No. 7 of 2002 on Copyrights and related rights, the economic rights of the author under this Law shall be protected for the duration of his life plus 50 years starting from the first day of the calendar year following his death. Economic rights of applied art works expire after 25 years, which start from the first day of the calendar year following their first publication.
Munshi Atik Chartered Accountants (formerly Enterprise House Chartered Accountants) will assist you right from the first step of the registration procedure until its approval and take care of the obstacles and queries that arise in the form of objections.
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