Trademarks, patents, designs and copyright are federal and are administered by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The current statutes date from 2021 and took effect in 2022. The UAE is in the Madrid system for trademarks and accepts PCT patent applications, so international filings can designate or enter the UAE. Register brands early and record licences where the law requires it, because protection and enforcement depend on registration.
Trademarks
Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks took effect on 2 January 2022. A registered mark is protected for ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for further ten-year periods. After publication of an application, third parties have 30 days to oppose.
A registered mark not used for five consecutive years can be cancelled at the request of an interested party, unless use was prevented by circumstances beyond the owner's control. The UAE acceded to the Madrid Protocol by Federal Decree No. 67 of 2021, and the Ministry's e-services link to WIPO's Madrid e-filing as well as offering national registration, renewal and infringement complaints.12345
Patents, utility certificates and designs
Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 on Industrial Property gives a patent 20 years and a utility certificate 10 years from the application date; industrial designs are protected for 20 years. The Ministry accepts international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Licences of patents and other industrial property must be in writing and entered in the Register, and they take effect against third parties once published in the Industrial Property Bulletin. Owners should also know that the law allows compulsory licences, for example where a patent has not been used or has been insufficiently used for three years.678910
Copyright and commissioned work
Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights took effect on 2 January 2022. Registration with the Ministry is optional: failing to register does not affect protection, but the register serves as evidence of ownership. An author's economic rights last for life plus 50 years.
Unless agreed otherwise in writing, copyright in commissioned work belongs to the person who commissioned it, and economic rights in employee work related to the employer's business and made with its resources belong to the employer. Contracts with contractors and staff should still assign rights expressly to avoid disputes.111213
| Right | Law | Term | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trademark | Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 | 10 years from filing, renewable | Required for statutory protection; national or via Madrid |
| Patent | Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 | 20 years from application | Required; national or PCT national phase |
| Utility certificate | Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 | 10 years from application | Required |
| Industrial design | Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 | 20 years from application | Required |
| Copyright | Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 | Author's life plus 50 years | Optional; register is evidence of ownership |
How it works, step by step
- Search and file the trademark application, nationally or by designating the UAE in a Madrid international application.45Ministry of Economy and Tourism; WIPO for Madrid filings
- Monitor the 30-day opposition period after publication.2Ministry of Economy and Tourism
- Record industrial property licences in the Register so they bind third parties.10Ministry of Economy and Tourism
- Renew trademarks every ten years and keep evidence of use.13Ministry of Economy and Tourism
No timings or fees are shown unless an official source states them.
Documents usually needed
- Trademark specification of goods and services by class
- Power of attorney for a registered trademark or industrial property agent
- Priority documents for any priority claim or PCT national phase entry, where relevant
- Written licence agreements for registration in the Register
- IP assignment clauses in employment and contractor agreements
Common mistakes
- Relying on a free-zone trade licence or trade name as brand protection; trademark rights come from federal registration.
- Not recording a patent or design licence, leaving it unenforceable against third parties.
- Letting a mark sit unused for five years, exposing it to cancellation.
- Assuming the contractor owns nothing without checking the written agreement, or the reverse.
When the business crosses borders
- Madrid designations and PCT national phase entries let foreign owners extend existing portfolios to the UAE.
- Arabic-language versions or transliterations of marks may need separate clearance and filing.
- Licensing royalties from the UAE raise tax and transfer pricing questions covered in the tax area.
Questions businesses ask
Do DIFC or ADGM companies register trademarks separately?
Trademark, patent and design registration is handled federally by the Ministry; we did not identify a separate free-zone register for these rights.5
How long does a UAE trademark last?
Ten years from the filing date, renewable for further ten-year periods.1
Is copyright registration needed to sue?
Registration is not a condition of protection, but the Ministry's register is evidence of the work's details and ownership.11
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional in the United Arab Emirates before you rely on them.
- Official government fees for filing, examination and renewal were not checked (Cabinet Resolution No. 102 of 2025 on Ministry fees is published in Arabic).
- Paris Convention membership was not confirmed from an official WIPO page run.
- Customs recordal and border enforcement procedures for counterfeit goods were not reviewed.
- The role, if any, of DIFC intellectual property legislation alongside federal registration was not confirmed.
- Typical examination times were not confirmed and are not stated here.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
A UAE trademark registration under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 protects the mark for ten years from the filing date, renewable for similar periods; the Decree-Law has applied since 2 January 2022. Federal; applies across the UAE including free zones.
Interested parties may oppose a published trademark application within 30 days of publication. Federal.
Any interested party may apply to cancel a registered trademark that has not been used for five consecutive years, unless use was prevented by emergency circumstances. Federal.
The UAE acceded to the Madrid Protocol on the international registration of marks by Federal Decree No. 67 of 2021. Federal.
Stated in the preamble of the Trademarks Decree-Law; the Ministry's e-services page links to WIPO Madrid e-filing. Not checked against WIPO's own membership page.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism provides trademark registration, renewal and infringement complaint services, and patent and industrial design registration, through its e-services. Federal registry.
Under Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 on Industrial Property a patent is valid for 20 years and a utility certificate for 10 years from the application date. Federal. The law took effect six months after Official Gazette publication (Article 80).
Under the UAE federal industrial property law of 2021, industrial design protection lasts 20 years from the application date. Federal.
Independent check 19 Oct 2026: the article text matches; the law number shown in the official PDF title is blank, so the number is not stated here.
The Ministry accepts international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Federal; national-phase rules and fees in Article 38.
The UAE federal industrial property law of 2021 allows compulsory licences, including where a patent has not been used, or has been insufficiently used, for three years after grant. Federal; grounds and conditions in Article 25, court procedure in Article 29, public-interest licences by the Minister in Article 30.
Independent check 19 Oct 2026: the article text matches; the law number shown in the official PDF title is blank, so the number is not stated here.
An industrial property licence must be in writing, entered in the Register by the protection holder, and takes effect against third parties once published in the Industrial Property Bulletin. Federal.
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 on Copyright, not registering a work does not affect its protection; the Ministry's registers serve as a reference for the work's data and ownership. Federal.
An author's economic rights are protected for the author's lifetime and 50 years after death, counted from the start of the calendar year following death; the Copyright Decree-Law has applied since 2 January 2022. Federal; other terms apply to other categories of work.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, copyright in a commissioned work belongs to the commissioning party, and economic rights in an employee's work related to the employer's business and made with its resources belong to the employer. Federal; work unrelated to the employer's business and made without its resources stays with the employee (Article 28(3)).
Questions on this topic
13 statements on intellectual property and brand protection in the United Arab Emirates
