Out-Law / Your Daily Need-To-Know

Dubai launches dedicated IP hub to help drive innovative technology

15 Oct 2024, 9:08 am

The recent launch of the Dubai Intellectual Property Hub (DIPH) is a welcome development for businesses in the UAE, as the Middle East continues to increase and encourage investment in technology and life sciences, an intellectual property (IP) expert has said.

Launched by the Dubai Future Foundation and the UAE Ministry of Economy, the DIPH aims to foster innovation in the region. To that end, the hub provides a centralised platform for researchers, startups and others involved with new technology to access information, tools and guidelines relating to IP and intangible assets in the region – including the applicability of relevant laws for businesses and the availability of IP protections.

Sian Banks, an IP specialist at Pinsent Masons, said the website would be a highly valuable resource for businesses.

“The launch of the Dubai Intellectual Property Hub showcases the efforts the UAE has put in to developing a robust legislative and institutional IP framework, and provides users with an invaluable resource they can use to navigate their way through that ecosystem,” she said.

“As innovative businesses look to enter or grow their presence in the Middle East, certainty over the IP protections and enforcement options available is key, and the DIPH educates users on the options available to register IP, safeguard ideas, and leverage their IP assets in the region.”

The DIPH follows a number of recent developments in the Middle East highlighting the region’s increased focus on technology and innovation, including the Qatar Financial Centre’s new digital assets regulatory framework which recently introduced innovative legislation alongside amendments to existing laws on the regulation of digital assets within the country’s financial free zone.