The 4 UAE laws, decisions and regulations on intellectual property in the Polaris Legal Library, each summarised from the official text with status, key provisions and penalties.
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Federal Decree-Law No. (36) of 2021 on Trademarks
Replaces the 1992 trademark law: defines registrable marks including names, logos, shapes, colours, sounds and smells, excludes deceptive marks and protected state symbols, provides registration with the Ministry of Economy for a renewable ten-year term from filing, reflects the UAE's accession to the Madrid Protocol and punishes counterfeiting with imprisonment and fines of AED 100,000 to 1,000,000.
Federal Decree-Law No. (38) of 2021 on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights
Replaces the 2002 copyright law: protects books, music, audiovisual and artistic works and software while excluding ideas and official documents, grants authors economic rights for life plus 50 years and perpetual moral rights, licenses collective management bodies through the Ministry of Economy and provides court orders, customs seizure, imprisonment and fines against infringement.
Federal Law No. (11) of 2021 on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights
Replaces the 2002 patents law: governs patents (20 years), utility model certificates and integrated-circuit layout designs (10 years), industrial designs (20 years) and undisclosed information, with examination and grant by the Ministry of Economy's International Centre for Patent Registration, a public register and bulletin, and receipt of international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
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