What are Intellectual Property (IP) and Intangible Assets (IA)?

Intellectual Property rights protect the unique expressions of your ideas in things you've created. There are nine different types of IP.

Some, like Copyrights and Trade Secrets, don't need formal registrations. Others require more detailed application processes to ensure your ideas are legally protected.

Intangible Assets are valuable assets that a business owns but don't have a physical form. They include things like Intellectual Property, brand recognition, customer lists, research and development, and goodwill.

These assets can contribute significantly to a company's value and competitive advantage but are not tangible or physical in nature.

Find out more about the different types of IP below

Types of
Intellectual Property

Patents

Patents cover various inventions, such as processes, methods, products, or improvements to an existing innovation. They require a high level of detail in demonstrating novelty, utility, and inventiveness.
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Examples:

A new drug to treat cancer or a process for producing a chemical compound or a suction system for vacuum cleaners, and more.

Costs:

Minimum of 13,000 AED, excluding professional fees.

Time to Acquire:

7 to 40 months (varies based on filing quality and examination complexities, including novelty assessments and/or prior art reviews).

Duration of Protection:

20 years

Trademarks

A distinctive symbol, word, or logo used to distinguish you from others in the market. They serve as a valuable tool for brand recognition and protection.
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Examples:

Logos, words, colors, symbols, phrases, trade names, and more.

Costs:

Minimum of 6,500 AED, excluding professional fees.

Time to Acquire:

3 months

Duration of Protection:

10 years

Copyrights

When you create an original work, a Copyright is automatically given. The duration of protection depends on the type of work and as the owner, you are legally empowered to add the © symbol to protect it from being copied or infringed upon. Your rights are secured automatically in most countries upon the publication of your work, regardless of the application of the © symbol.
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Examples:

Photography, art, literature, code, photos, software and more.

Costs:

Minimum of 50 AED, excluding professional fees.

Time to Acquire:

3 working days

Duration of Protection:

25 to 50 years

Utility Models

Utility Models focus on the functional improvement of a product. They differ from Patents in that they don’t require the same amount of detail when outlining the uniqueness of your idea as they’re more focused on the process.
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Examples:

Everyday items, mechanical systems, small improvements to what exists, and more.

Costs:

Minimum of 13,000 AED, excluding professional fees.

Time to Acquire:

7 to 45 months (varies based on filing quality and examination complexities, including novelty assessments and/or prior art reviews).

Duration of Protection:

10 years

Industrial Designs

Industrial Designs protects the aesthetic or ornamental aspects of a product, encompassing its visual appearance, shape, configuration, or decoration. Protecting these ensures that the visual appeal of your product remains exclusive to you and your brand.
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Examples:

Shapes of devices, styles of furniture, ornaments or jewelry, and more.

Costs:

Minimum of 1,000 AED, excluding professional fees.

Time to Acquire:

1 to 4 months

Duration of Protection:

20 years

Integrated Circuit Layouts

Electrical and electronic circuitry can be found in anything these days, from refrigerators to complex aerospace systems. The way this circuitry is laid out and how active components are connected to each other is what Integrated Circuit Layouts (ICs) protect.
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Examples:

Microprocessors, digital signal processors, power management ICs, and more.

Costs:

Minimum of 1,000 AED, excluding professional fees.

Time to Acquire:

12 months

Duration of Protection:

10 years

Plant Varieties

Plant Variety protection grants agricultural experts and breeders exclusive control over new plants they have developed or discovered.
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Examples:

Drought-resistant crops, ornamental plants with unique aesthetics, fruits with enhanced flavors or nutritional values, and more.

Costs:

Free of charge, excluding professional fees.

Time to Acquire:

4 and ½ months

Duration of Protection:

20 to 25 years (20 years for agricultural products, 25 years for trees and vines).

Domain Names

A .ae Domain helps your audience know that your business is based in the UAE and provides a sense of trust and validity. It's key to building your brand's digital footprint and credibility in the region. We’d recommend keeping the consistency between your Domain and brand names so that you can easily be found online.
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Examples:

u.ae, tasjeel.ae, etisalat.ae, du.ae, and more.

Costs:

Minimum of 150 AED

Time to Acquire:

Instant

Duration of Protection:

1 to 10 years

Trade Secrets

Trade Secrets protect sensitive business information, like unique methods or custom software, that isn't common knowledge and adds value to your company due to its secrecy. Secrecy is a business's stronghold. By protecting Trade Secrets, you ensure your unique business strategies and proprietary knowledge remain in-house, providing you with a long-term competitive advantage.
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Examples:

Manufacturing processes, secret recipes, customer lists, business strategies, and more.

Costs:

Free of charge

Time to Acquire:

Immediately after taking reasonable steps to keep your secrets.

Duration of Protection:

As long as you keep the secret.

What Does the IP Process Look Like?

Learn the benefits and get prepared.

Prepare Your Application

Explore our learning materials to understand the benefits of registering each IP type,
and be informed on what to do before applying

Register and protect your ideas.

Apply for IP

Find out how and where you can apply so you can register and safeguard your idea

Maintain. Enforce. Commercialize.

Manage Your IP

Discover how to maintain, where to enforce, and the benefits of commercializing your registered IP

The Benefits of Registering Your IP in Dubai

Compliance with international standards:
The UAE is part of several international IP agreements, like the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention, and the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). This means the UAE follows global IP standards, helping UAE companies do business worldwide.
Access to a diverse economy and innovation hub:
Dubai is committed to diversifying its economy. Our innovation-driven environment makes IP protection crucial for businesses looking to capitalize on new opportunities and investments in emerging sectors.
Strategic geographical location:
Dubai's central location between the East and West gives businesses an edge for global expansion. Protecting Intellectual Property (IP) in Dubai helps secure your market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the wider Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region.
Access to free zones:
Dubai has over 25 free zones that offer tax and ownership benefits to foreign investors. These zones provide incentives like 100% foreign ownership, full profit repatriation, and no import/export taxes. Some free zones, like the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), have specific IP regulations to attract and protect foreign investors' Intellectual Property.