Examining the digital transformation of intellectual property (IP) infringement services in the Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai

Abstract

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), intellectual property (IP) management falls within the remit of the Ministry of Economy (MoE), which is responsible for overall regulation of the implementation of the relevant federal laws in all seven Emirates. Nonetheless, each Emirate enacted decrees and laws concerning how such federal laws are implemented within its jurisdictions. The objective of this chapter is to assess the digital transformation of the procedures to protect trademark IP in Dubai. Practices and procedures for the protection of trademarks in the United States of America (USA) and Singapore are studied for comparisons and to examine their policy implications for Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED). The findings indicate that trademark IP protection in the UAE is enabled by both customs registration and via relevant authorities, according to the local laws in force in each Emirate. It is also found that registrars in both countries (i.e. USA and Singapore) operate independently, and alternative dispute resolutions (ADRs) are used when trademark infringement occurs. Finally, the chapter recommends a digital operational model for trademark IP enforcement to strengthen the current structure in Dubai. The proposed gateway could streamline and ease the trademark infringement complaint process to facilitate investment.