Judicial Decision Restricting Broadcaster’s Ability To Reschedule Programming

It has been broadly accepted that copyright holders in the UAE enjoy absolute discretion to determine the first date of publishing their works. However, this may not remain the situation in Dubai for TVbroadcasters. A judgment issued by the First Instance Court, and recently affirmed by the Appeal Court of Dubai, appears to restrict the exercise of rights granted under UAE copyright law.

Article 5 of UAE Federal law number (7) for 2002 in relation to Copyrights and Neighboring Rights (the "UAE Copyright Law"), stipulates that
"Author and his successors shall enjoy, in respect of the work, moral rights, which are not subject to assignment or a statute of limitations, such rights include: