Intellectual property & cross-border

Intellectual property and trademarks in the UAE

Your brand, inventions and creative work are assets. We register them, license them and act when someone copies them.

In short

In the UAE, trademarks are registered with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism under the federal trademark law, which follows a first-to-file principle: the first to apply generally wins. Patents, designs and copyright have their own registration and protection rules.

We search, file and follow trademark, patent, copyright and design applications, draft licensing and technology agreements, and act against infringement, passing off and counterfeit goods.

What we handle

How we can help

Trademark, patent, copyright and design registration

Clearance searches, choosing classes, filing, responding to objections and following the application to registration.

Infringement and passing-off actions

Cease-and-desist letters, complaints and claims against copycat brands, products and content.

III

Licensing, assignment and technology agreements

Licences, assignments, franchise and technology agreements that protect your rights and your income.

Anti-counterfeiting and border measures

Recording rights with customs and acting against counterfeit goods entering the market.

How it works

From first call to resolution

Identify what to protect
Names, logos, products, inventions, designs and content, and where you trade.
Search and advise
Clearance searches to spot conflicts before you invest in a brand.
File and follow
Applications, examination, publication and any oppositions.
Use and enforce
Licensing, monitoring and action against infringers.

Why file early

Because the UAE generally protects the first to file, a business that has traded under a name for years can find someone else has registered it. If you are launching a brand in the UAE, or expanding from India, file before you announce. A registered mark is protected for ten years from filing and can be renewed. Our guide to trademark registration in the UAE walks through each stage.

Patents, designs and copyright

Patents and industrial designs are registered in the UAE under the federal industrial property law, and protection depends on filing before the invention or design is made public. Copyright arises automatically when a work is created, but voluntary registration with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism gives you useful evidence of ownership and date if a dispute arises. For software and digital products, we usually recommend a mix: trademarks for the name, copyright for the code and content, and clear contracts with developers so that the business owns what it paid for.

When someone copies you

The first step is usually a firm cease-and-desist letter backed by evidence of your rights. If that fails, the options include a complaint to the Ministry or the economic department of the relevant emirate, action against counterfeit goods through customs, and civil or criminal proceedings. We choose the route by the speed you need and the evidence you have.

Technical matters

Our IP adviser holds an LL.B. specialising in intellectual property rights and a background in electronics and communication engineering, which helps on patents, software and technology disputes.

FAQ

Intellectual Property (IPR): your questions

The Ministry decides on an application within a set period after filing, then the mark is published for opposition before registration. Straightforward applications typically complete within several months.

Ten years from the filing date, renewable for further ten-year periods.

If you have not filed, possibly, because the UAE generally follows first-to-file. Filing early is the best protection.

Fees are quoted after the first consultation, depending on the number of marks and classes. Official fees are separate.

Your team