Copyright Registration in the Middle East
Admittedly, the Middle East has something of a "Wild
West" reputation, when it comes to some business behaviors.
One of the most protuberant of these is the Middle Eastern
perception of copying someone as a form of flattery, rather than as
theft. In this era, where platforms like Instagram and Pinterest
reign supreme, the idea of free design has been distorted. While
people are happy to pay for construction, because that is tangible,
the design is thought to be 'just a piece of paper'.
However, the impression that the Law here does not protect
designers is, to an acute degree, unfounded. In the UAE, the
Ministry of Economy is the highly competent authority that
registers and protects intellectual property.
