COPYRIGHT SUMMARY

 

Copyright Law

 

Copyrights in The UAE are protected by Federal Law No. 7 of the year 2002 concerning copyrights and neighboring rights which was amended by the Federal law 32 of the year 2006. The Federal Law covers all the seven Emirates forming The UAE (Abu-Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al-Quwain). A copyright granted under said law provides protection in all Emirates.

 

Copyright related Treaties 

 

The UAE is a member of Berne Convention for the protection of literacy and artistic works, Rome Convention, WIPO Convention, WIPO Copyright Treaty, WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, TRIPS Agreement.

 

Filing System

 

Copyright-able works have to be deposited with the Copyright Department at the Ministry of Economy. Registration is possible for nationals and foreigners.

 

Scope of Protection

 

1- Books, pamphlets, essays and other written works.

2- Computer programs and applications, databases, and works analogous to them as defined by a Minister’s decision.

3- Lectures, addresses, sermons, and other works of similar nature.

4- Dramatic, dramatic-musical works and dumb-shows.

5- Music compositions with or without words.

6- Sound and audiovisual works.

7- Architectural works, engineering plans, and layouts.

8- Works of drawing, painting, sculpture, lithography (fabric, metal, stones, wood), and engrave or similar works in the scope of fine arts.

9- Photographic works and works analogous to photography.

10- Works of applied and plastic art.

11- Illustrations, geographical maps, sketches, three-dimensional works relative to geography, topography, and architectural designs, etc

 

Limitation on Protection

 

1- Protection does not extend to mere ideas, procedures, methods of work, mathematical understandings, principles and abstract facts but extend to creative expression in any of them

 

Protection does not extend to the following, nevertheless their compilation or arrangement or any effort thereof is characterized by creative manner:

 

2- Official documents, whatever is their original language or the language translated to it, such as the texts of laws, regulations, decisions, international agreements, judgments, arbitrators’ awards and the decisions of the administrative committees having judicial competence.

3- The news, events, and the current facts, which constitute merely media news.

4- The works transferred to public property

 

Validity

 

The economic rights relating to copyright are of limited duration, beginning with the creation and fixation of the work, and lasting for not less than 50 years after the author’s death.

 

 

COPYRIGHT REQUIREMENTS

 

Application for Copyright

 

1- Power of Attorney duly notarized & consularized up to the UAE Consulate.

2- Three copies of the copyrightable work.

3- Title with summary description of the work.

 

 

(Any document in a language other than English must be accompanied by a Certified English translation).