The UAE Minister for Justice announced this month (Ministerial Resolution No. 137 for 2016) that the UAE will be setting-up dedicated court circuits to handle Intellectual Property Rights disputes.
The Judicial Inspection Department will provide specialised training to judges to help them understand the procedures and technicalities associated with IPR cases. The initiative reflects the country’s acknowledgment of the need for specialised judges to reduce delays and facilitate the speedy resolution of cases. An Intellectual Property Court Circuit has already been set up at the Federal Court of First Instance in Abu Dhabi, and the next move will be establishing Court Circuits across the country.
For now, the courts will only hear matters dealt with by the Federal Court such as cancellation actions, while those Emirates with their own court systems (including Dubai) will retain their current processes for dealing with infringement and other IP disputes.
This article was also included in the February edition of The Oath.
