‘Protecting Your App': Legal Issues Associated With Mobile App Development

Apps have become ubiquitous in today's society. App analytics firm, App Annie, has estimated that the global app economy which was worth US$ 1.3 trillion in 2016 will be worth US$ 6.3 trillion by 2021. Today, app publishers come from all sectors not just media and entertainment companies and game studios. Those in the consumer banking sector have in particular been keen proponents of apps, responding to a growing demand from customers for faster and more efficient ways to administer their finances. As a case in point, 'CBD Now' was launched in early 2017 by the Commercial Bank of Dubai as the UAE's first digital-only bank. In this article, Dino Wilkinson and Kellie Blyth examine two fundamental legal issues often overlooked by app publishers: how best to protect your app and who owns the rights in your app. This article addresses these issues by reference to the laws applicable in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but many of the points raised will also be relevant in