In applying the provisions of this Law, the following words and expressions shall have the meanings assigned to each, unless the context otherwise requires:
State: United Arab Emirates.
Ministry: Ministry of Economy.
Minister: Minister of Economy.
Committee: The Grievance Committee formed by a decision of the Cabinet.
Court: Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal.
ICPR: International Center for Patent Registration (ICPR) at the Ministry.
Industrial Property: The rights attached to patents, utility model certificates, designs, integrated circuits, and undisclosed information.
Protection Title: A document evidencing the protection granted by the Ministry to an invention, industrial design or layout-design of an integrated circuit.
Invention: An innovative idea created by the inventor in any technical field for a product and/or process that practically provides a new addition or solution to a certain problem in any of such fields.
Patent: The Protection Title granted by the Ministry for the Invention.
Utility Model Certificate: The Protection Title granted by the Ministry for an innovative step that does not qualify for a Patent.
Industrial Design: A two-dimensional or three-dimensional ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article that gives a special appearance to a product or handicraft.
Industrial Design Certificate: The Protection Title granted by the Ministry for the Industrial Design.
Integrated Circuit: A product, in its final form or intermediate form, including elements, at least one of which is an active element, mounted on a piece of an insulating material, and form with some or all of the interconnections an integral body intended to perform a specific electronic function.
Layout-Design Certificate: The Protection Title granted by the Ministry for each three-dimensional disposition prepared for an Integrated Circuit intended for manufacture.
Compulsory License: Allowing a natural or legal person to use a Patent, Utility Model Certificate, Industrial Design, Layout-Design or Integrated Circuit in the State, without the need for the consent of the right holder or licensee of the industrial property rights.
Industrial Property Bulletin: The periodic bulletin of industrial property issued by the Ministry and dedicated for publishing all that is required to be published under this Law or the Executive Regulations thereof.
Registration Agent: An agent entered by the Ministry in the list of Registration Agents.
International Application: An application submitted to the Ministry for obtaining a Patent under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
PCT Receiving Office: The national office which receives the International Application and refers same to any other entity determined according to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Register: The register of Industrial Property rights maintained by the Ministry.

1. This Law shall apply to Patents, Industrial Designs, Integrated Circuits, undisclosed information and Utility Model Certificates registered in the State, including the free zones.
2. The provisions of this Law shall not prejudice the provisions of international conventions or treaties to which the State is a party and which regulate the rights of the citizens of states parties and those of the persons who receive the same treatment.
3. The rights granted hereunder to citizens shall also be granted to foreigners who are nationals of a state with which the State has a reciprocity relationship.

1. A Patent shall be granted for each new Invention resulting from an innovative idea or innovative improvement, which involves an inventive step and is capable of industrial application.
2. A Patent shall be granted independently of any new application, modification, improvement or addition to a previously patented Invention, if it meets the requirements stipulated herein.
3. An Invention is new if it is not anticipated by prior art, by being disclosed to the public by means of written or oral disclosure, or by use or by any other way through which knowledge of the Invention is realized. This has to be prior to the filing date of the Patent application or the legally claimed priority application.
4. Disclosure of the information by the inventor, or the other party who obtains such information, directly or indirectly, from the inventor, may not affect the granting of the Patent if it takes place within 12 months before the filing date of the application.
5. An Invention is deemed to involve an inventive step if, with regard to prior art related to the Patent application, it is not obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art.
6. An Invention is deemed industrially applicable if it can be manufactured or used in any sector.

1. A Utility Model Certificate shall be granted for a new Invention that is industrially applicable but does not involve an innovative step that qualifies for a Patent.
2. A Utility Model Certificate may be granted for any Invention, to which the provisions of Article (5) hereof apply, at the request of the inventor, or the legal representative thereof, if he wants to settle for the Utility Model Certificate.
3. The patent office may, at the request of the inventor, Registration Agent, or anyone to whom the patent rights are transferred in accordance with Article (9) hereof, convert a Utility Model Certificate to a patent application, and vice versa, in accordance with the controls and conditions set forth in the Executive Regulations of this Law.

1. None of the following may be granted a Patent or Utility Model Certificate:
   A. Plant or animal varieties and research or biological processes for the production of plants or animals, with the exception of microbiological processes and products resulting from such processes, as determined by the Executive Regulations of this Law.
   B. Methods of diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical treatments of the human or animal body.
   C. Principles, discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods.
   D. Schemes, rules, computer programs, or methods for doing business, performing mental acts or playing games.
    E. Natural materials, even if purified or isolated from nature, with exception of the methods of purification or isolation of natural materials from the original environment.
    F. Inventions the exploitation of which would be contrary to the public order or morality, or harmful to the health or life of humans or the environment.
2. If the Ministry finds, after examining the patent application, that the Invention relates to security and military industries, it shall follow the procedures set forth in the Executive Regulations of this Law.

1. The inventor's name shall be stated in the application for Patent or Utility Model Certificate, unless the inventor states in writing that he does not want his name to be mentioned.
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of Article (10) hereof, the patent right shall be granted to the inventor or his successors in title.
3. If the essential elements of the Invention applied for are obtained from an Invention of another person, all the patent rights shall be granted to such person being the original inventor.
4. If two or more persons have jointly made an Invention, the right to the patent shall belong to them jointly. No person shall be deemed a joint inventor if his efforts are only confined to assistance in the Invention execution, without contributing to any innovative step.
5. Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles (9) and (10) hereof, if two or more persons have made the same Invention independently of each other, the person who is first to apply for a Patent or Utility Model Certificate or is first to claim for priority for the same Invention shall be entitled to obtain the Patent or Utility Model Certificate, as the case may be, so long as he meets the requirements for obtaining same.

If a person who has no patent right applies for obtaining a Patent or Utility Model Certificate, the patent right holder may, subject to the provisions of Article (8) hereof, request from the Ministry transferring the application, Patent or Utility Model Certificate thereto.

1. Where an Invention is made in execution of a contract or the like, the right to the patent shall belong, in the absence of contractual provisions to the contrary, to the employer. Any patent application filed by the inventor employee within two years from the date of end of service shall be deemed as made during the term of service.
2. When the Invention has an economic value much greater than the parties could have foreseen at the time of concluding the contract, the inventor shall have the right to additional remuneration, which shall be determined by the court in the absence of agreement between the parties.
3. When an employee, whose employment contract does not require him to engage in inventive activity makes, in the field of activities of his employer, an Invention by using expertise, documents or instruments of the employer or raw materials made available to him through his employment, the right to the patent for that Invention shall belong to the inventor employee after the expiration of a period of four months from the date on which he submits to the employer the report on the Invention referred to in Item (4) of this Article, or from the date on which the employer is otherwise informed of the Invention and does not make a written declaration of his interest therein.
4. Any employee who makes an Invention, under a contract or the like, shall inform the employer of such Invention in a written report immediately after completion thereof.
5. If the employer makes a declaration of his interest in the Invention within the time limit fixed in Item (3) of this Article, the right to the patent for such Invention shall be considered to have belonged to him from the date on which the Invention was made. The employee who made the Invention shall have the right to equitable compensation that takes into account the economic value of the Invention and any benefit derived by the employer from the Invention. In the absence of agreement between the parties, the compensation shall be fixed by the court.
6. Any agreement which deprives the employee from compensation shall be deemed null and void.

The application for Patent or Utility Model Certificate shall be filed with the Ministry by the inventor, Registration Agent, or anyone to whom the patent rights are transferred in accordance with Article (8) hereof. Such application shall be expressly made in accordance with the procedures and controls set by the Executive Regulations of this Law, after payment of the prescribed fees.
2. The application must include the names of the applicant, inventor and Registration Agent, if any, together with a statement justifying the applicant's right to the patent for the Invention if he is not the inventor.
3. The application must include the name of the Invention and an abstract and detailed description thereof, together with one or more claims and an illustration, if any.
4. The abstract shall only be used for general information and information of a technical nature, and may not be relied on in interpreting the application.
3. The description of the Invention shall be made in the best way possible, at the filing date of the application or priority date, to enable any person skilled in the art to carry it out.
3. The application must determine the claim(s) for which protection is sought, and the description and illustrations may be used to interpret the same, if necessary.
7. Claims must be clear and concise and fully supported by the description.
8. The application and its attachments shall be submitted in both Arabic and English. If they are not submitted in either language, such submission shall be made within the period set by the Executive Regulations of this Law.
9. The applicant shall provide the ICPR with any additional information and data required thereby with respect to his application within ninety (90) days of the date of notification.
10. The applicant may make any amendments to his application, as he deems fit, provided that the amendments made to the information included in the original application are not material.
11. The application attachments and the deadlines for submission thereof shall be set by the Executive Regulations.

1. After payment of the prescribed fees by the applicant, the Ministry shall examine the application for Patent or Utility Model Certificate and may ask the applicant to fulfill any requirements it deems necessary for granting the Patent or Utility Model Certificate, in accordance with the provisions of this Law and the Executive Regulations thereof. If the applicant fails to fulfill such requirements within ninety (90) days from the date of being notified, this shall be considered as a waiver of his application.
2. If the Invention meets the conditions stipulated in the Law and the Executive Regulations thereof, the Ministry shall announce the approval of the application in the Industrial Property Bulletin, in the manner set forth in the Executive Regulations of this Law.

The Ministry may examine a particular set of urgent applications for Patents or Utility Model
Certificates before other applications at the request of applicants, irrespective of the date on which the application is filed or the examination is requested, without prejudice to applications of priority, according to the criteria and conditions set by the Executive Regulations of this Law.

1. The application referred to in Article (11) hereof may relate to one Invention only or to a group of Inventions so linked as to form a single general inventive concept. Any application filed for more than one Invention shall be determined by the right decision, as provided in the Executive Regulations of this Law.
2. If it appears after granting of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate that the condition for unity of invention is not met, as provided in Item (1) of this Article, this shall not be taken as a ground to overturn the Patent or Utility Model Certificate.

1. Any applicant for a Patent or Utility Model Certificate whose application involves two or more Inventions, may divide such application into two or more applications, in conformity with what is stated in the description or drawings attached to the initial application.
2. The application divided according to this Article shall be deemed filed on the same date of filing the initial patent application, according to the criteria set forth in the Executive Regulations of this Law.
3. The requirements for division of applications shall be set by the Executive Regulations of this Law.

1. The ICPR shall grant Patents and Utility Model Certificates, which shall be published in the Industrial Property Bulletin, according to such powers and procedures as set by the Executive Regulations of this Law.
2. The Patent or Utility Model Certificate shall be granted to the person entitled thereto, if no objection is raised with respect thereto by filing an application for re-examination after granting thereof or filing a grievance within the time limit set out in the Executive Regulations of this Law, after entry thereof in the Register. The Patent or Utility Model Certificate must indicate the registration number, issuance date, evidence of payment of the registration or renewal fees and such other data as required by the Executive Regulations of this Law.

1. The term of the Patent shall be twenty (20) years and the term of the Utility Model Certificate shall be ten (10) years, starting from the filing date of the application.
3. The applicant for, or owner of, a Patent or Utility Model Certificate shall pay the annual fees payable for registration of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate, throughout the term of protection, in accordance with the procedures and controls set by the Executive Regulations of this Law.
3. The Executive Regulations of this Law shall set the procedures and requirements for re-activation of applications for Patents or Utility Model Certificates in case of failure or delay in payment of the fees payable therefor according to Item (2) of this Article.

A Patent or Utility Model Certificate shall grant its owner the following rights:
1. The right to exploit the Invention, which includes the following:
A. Where the subject matter of a Patent or Utility Model Certificate is a product, the owner thereof may make, use, offer for sale, sell or import the product for such purposes, and shall have the right to prevent third parties, not having his consent, from making, using, offering for sale, selling, or importing the product for such purposes.
B. If the Invention involves an industrial process or method for producing a particular product, the patent owner shall have the same right with respect to the products resulting directly from using such process or method, in addition to his rights to use such process or method and to prevent third parties, not having his consent, from using the process or using, offering for sale, selling, or importing the product obtained directly from that process for such purposes.
2. Using the process and performing any of the acts referred to in Paragraph (A) of Item (1) of this Article with respect to a product obtained directly from that process, in the event that the Patent or Utility Model Certificate is granted for a process or new application of a well-known industrial process or means.
3. The rights referred to in Item (1) of this Article shall be limited to the acts performed for industrial or commercial purposes. They shall not extend to acts in relation to the product protected after the sale thereof.

If a person, in good faith, manufactures a product, uses an invented process, or makes serious preparations therefor in the State before the filing date of an application for protection by another person, or on the legally claimed priority date of such application, that person shall have the right, notwithstanding the grant of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate, to continue to perform such acts without extending the scope thereof. Such right of exploitation may  not be transferred to third parties independently of the establishment benefiting therefrom.

1. A Patent or Utility Model Certificate, or the application for either of them, may be transferred to third parties.
3. The transfer of a Patent or Utility Model Certificate, or the application for either of them, must be made in writing and signed by the contracting parties at the Ministry, submitted to the notary public in the State for authentication of the signatures, or duly authenticated in the State.
3. The transfer must be recorded in the Register after payment of the prescribed fees.
4. The Ministry may refrain from recording a transfer in the Register if it would lead to misuse of an Industrial Property right, adversely affect commercial competition or other related matters, as provided in the Executive Regulations of this Law.

The rights granted by Patents or Utility Model Certificates shall not apply to the following:
1. Acts carried out for education and scientific research purposes.
2. Using the subject matter of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate in means of transport that temporarily or accidentally enter the territory of the State, whether in the structure, machines, devices, equipment or other additional parts thereof, provided that the use is limited to the needs of such means of transport.
3. Mixing two or more medicines by a licensed pharmacist for treatment purposes.

1. Each of the joint owners of a Patent or Utility Model Certificate may separately transfer his share in the Invention protected by the Patent or Utility Model Certificate to third parties, exploit the Invention and exercise the rights conferred thereto by Article (19) hereof, unless otherwise agreed and without prejudice to the other owners.
2. None of the joint owners of a Patent or Utility Model Certificate may grant a license to third parties to exploit the Invention without an agreement between them.

A Patent or Utility Model Certificate may be pledged in accordance with the controls and procedures set forth in the legislation in force in the State.

1. If a period of at least three years has elapsed since the granting of a Patent or Utility Model Certificate without being exploited by the owner at all or exploited in an inadequate manner, any interested party may apply for a Compulsory License, in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article (29) hereof, if the following requirements are met:
   A. The applicant for the Compulsory License must prove that he has exerted, over a reasonable period of time, efforts in order to obtain a license from the Patent or Utility Model Certificate owner on the basis of reasonable commercial conditions, and for a reasonable price. The procedures required in this regard shall be set by the Executive Regulations of this Law.
   B. The Compulsory License shall not be exclusive.
   C. The Compulsory License must be granted to meet the needs of the local market. The Executive Regulations of this Law shall set out the guarantees that must be provided by the applicant to ensure adequate exploitation of the Invention in order to address the shortfalls or meet the needs for which the Compulsory License is requested.
   D. The decision granting the Compulsory License shall specify the scope and term of the license, according to the purpose for which it is granted, and may include obligations and restrictions binding on the licensor and licensee.
   E. The owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate shall be awarded a fair compensation.
   F. The exploitation of the Invention shall be limited to the licensee and the license may not be transferred to any other person except in the case of transfer of ownership of the licensee's establishment or that part of the establishment that exploits the Invention, subject to the approval of the competent court.
   G. The provisions of Articles (29) and (35) hereof shall apply to the applications for transfer of Compulsory Licenses.
   H. If the Invention is related to a semiconductor technology, the Compulsory License shall only be granted for public non-commercial use or to remedy a practice determined after judicial or administrative process to be anti-competitive.
2. No Compulsory License shall be granted if the owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate has valid grounds to justify his position.

1. The Compulsory License shall confer on the licensee the right to perform all or some of the acts mentioned in Article (19) hereof according to the terms of the license.
The Compulsory License holder shall have the right to exercise the rights of the owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate under civil and criminal law in order to protect and exploit the Invention if the owner has failed to do so in spite of having been aware or informed of an unlawful act.

1. The application for a Compulsory License shall be submitted to the court in the form of a lawsuit filed against the owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate. The ICPR shall be summoned to be represented before the court. The court may give the parties a grace period to reach an agreement. The grace period may be extended if the court finds a justified reason for such extension.
2. After the lapse of the grace period referred to in Item (1) of this Article, the court shall decide either to refuse to grant the Compulsory License or to grant it, and shall also determine the terms and scope thereof and the compensation for the owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate, in accordance with the provisions of Article (25) hereof.
3. If the decision made under Item (2) of this Article becomes final, the licensee shall notify the other parties and the Ministry thereof. The Ministry shall record the decision in the Register and publish it in the Industrial Property Bulletin after payment of the prescribed fees. The decision shall only take effect towards third parties as from the date of publication thereof.

A Compulsory License may be issued by a decision of the Minister, or whoever he delegates, for exploitation of an Invention protected by a Patent or Utility Model Certificate, if such Invention is important for the public interest, in accordance with the conditions stipulated in Article (25) hereof, with the exception of the term condition, and Paragraph (A) of Item (1) thereof. The decision of the Minister shall be published in the Industrial Property Bulletin.

1. If it is impossible to exploit an Invention protected by a Patent or Utility Model Certificate in the State without prejudicing rights conferred by a Patent or Utility Model Certificate granted by virtue of an earlier application, the owner of the later Patent or Utility Model Certificate may on request be granted a Compulsory License, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraphs (C) and (E) of Item (1) of Article (25) hereof, to the extent necessary for exploitation of his Invention, provided that such Invention serves industrial purposes different from those of the Invention subject of the earlier Patent or Utility Model Certificate or represents a significant technical advance in relation thereto.
2. If a Compulsory License is granted according to Item (1) of this Article, the owner of the earlier Patent or Utility Model Certificate may on request be granted a Compulsory License for the later Patent or Utility Model Certificate.
3. The Compulsory License granted to the later applicant may only be transferred to third parties by transfer of the later Patent.

1. The court or Minister, as the case may be, may modify the terms of the Compulsory License at the request of the owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate or the licensee, provided that the modification is justified by new facts, and, in particular, where the owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate grants a contractual license on terms better than those of the Compulsory License.
2. The court or Minister, as the case may be, may revoke the Compulsory License at the request of the owner of the Patent or Utility Model Certificate, if the licensee fails to comply with the terms of the license, or if the grounds justifying the granting of the license no longer exist; in which case, the licensee shall be given a reasonable grace period to discontinue the exploitation of the Invention if immediate discontinuation would cause him serious damage.

1. A Patent or Utility Model Certificate may be surrendered by the owner or licensee thereof by sending a written notice to the Ministry, while advising any party related to the Patent or Utility Model Certificate of his intention of surrender.
2. The surrender may be limited to one or more of the rights conferred by the Patent or Utility Model Certificate. It may not prejudice the rights of third parties unless those rights have been surrendered in writing. The surrender shall be recorded in the Register and shall only take effect towards third parties as from the date of its publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin.

1. Any interested party may institute a court action to invalidate a Patent, Utility Model Certificate or Compulsory License if it has been granted without fulfillment of the requirements stipulated in this Law or the Executive Regulations thereof.
2. The owner of the Patent, Utility Model Certificate or Compulsory License, the Ministry and any persons who have rights related thereto shall be notified of the decision issued under Item (1) of this Article, which shall be published in the Industrial Property Bulletin.
The invalidation request may be limited to a part of the Patent, Utility Model Certificate or Compulsory License, in which case, the decision shall be considered a limitation of the rights conferred thereby.

Subject to the provisions of Article (32) hereof, the decision invalidating the Patent, Utility Model Certificate or Compulsory License, in whole or in part, shall be retroactively effective from the date of the granting thereof. However, the party to whom the Patent, Utility Model Certificate or Compulsory License is granted shall not be required to refund the compensation obtained for exploitation of the Invention or Compulsory License. The invalidation decision shall be recorded in the Register and published in the Industrial Property Bulletin.

Where no special provision is made in this Part, the provisions of the articles hereof relating to Patents and Utility Model Certificates shall apply to Industrial Designs.

The owner of the Protection Title shall record the contractual license in the Register after payment of the prescribed fees, and the Ministry shall approve such recorded license in the Register. The license shall only take effect towards third parties as from the date of publication thereof in the Industrial Property Bulletin. The license shall be struck off the Register at the request of the parties to the contract or upon the expiry of the term thereof.

Where no special provision is made in this Part, the provisions of the articles hereof relating to Patents and Utility Model Certificates shall apply to Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits.

Where no special provision is made in this Part, the provisions of the articles hereof relating to Patents and Utility Model Certificates shall apply to undisclosed information.

Without prejudice to any more severe punishment stipulated in any other law, any person who provides false or forged documents or information in order to obtain a Patent, Utility Model Certificate, Industrial Design, or Layout-Design of Integrated Circuit, imitates an Invention or a process, or intentionally infringes any right protected hereunder, shall be punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of not less than AED 100,000 (one hundred thousand Dirhams) or more than AED 1,000,000 (one million Dirhams).

1. A committee shall be formed by a decision of the Cabinet and chaired by a judge nominated by the Minister of Justice, including two experts in the field of Industrial Property rights, and excluding the employees of the ICPR. Such decision shall determine the Committee's work system and term, remuneration of its members and the procedures for filing grievances and deciding thereon.
2. The Minister shall appoint the secretary of the Committee or delegate an employee of the Ministry to carry out the duties thereof. In performing his work, the secretary shall follow the instructions of the chairman of the Committee.
3. The Committee shall be competent to decide on the grievances filed by the concerned parties against the decisions issued in application of the provisions of this Law and the Executive Regulations thereof.
4. The Committee shall consider grievances after payment of the prescribed fees.
5. Subject to the provisions of Paragraph (2) of Article (17) hereof, the Committee shall not consider any grievance relating to the registration of a Patent, Utility Model Certificate or Industrial Design unless after the concerned party raises an objection before the ICPR by filing an application for re-examination after grant.
6. The Executive Regulations of this Law shall set the controls, procedures and periods for the applications for re-examination after grant and for deciding thereon.
7. Subject to Item (5), no action shall be accepted before courts unless after filing a grievance before the Committee.