- Put your ownership on record
Copyright Registration in the UAE
Copyright protects your work from the moment it is created. Registering it with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET) puts you on the official register as the owner, and we check who created and owns the work before we file. Copyright registration in the UAE records a work and its owner on the official register kept by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET). It is voluntary, because copyright arises automatically when an original work is created.
- Registry: MoET (federal, every emirate)
- Law: Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021
- Registration: voluntary
- Government fee: AED 50 per author, or AED 200 for a company (as of October 2026)
- Professional fees: estimated from AED 3,000 per work
- MoET service time: 3 working days on average (MoET estimate)
Local Presence
Do you need to register copyright in the UAE?
No. Copyright in the UAE arises automatically when an original work is created, and not registering it does not reduce your rights. Registering with MoET records the work and its owner on the official register, which gives you useful evidence if you ever need to prove ownership.
Reasons to register anyway:
- MoET's register is the official reference for a work's details and its owner, and the certificate is useful evidence in a dispute.
- A dated record helps when you license or sell the work, or when investors check what your company owns.
- It puts the right owner on record when staff, freelancers or an agency helped create the work.
Want ownership checked before you file?
ell us what you created and who worked on it. We confirm whose name goes on each application.
What copyright protects in the UAE, and what it does not
Copyright protects original creative works, including books and articles, software, apps and databases, music, films, drawings, paintings, photographs, architecture and applied art. It protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. Methods, procedures, official documents and pure news are not protected. Brand names and logos are protected by registering them as trademarks.
Business names and logos] Brand names and logos are protected by registering them as trademarks. Copyright protects original creative works such as software, books, music and artwork. For a name or logo, see how to protect a business name or logo as a trademark.
- Inventions are protected by patents, and UAE law excludes software from patents.
- To protect the shape or pattern of a product, register how a product looks as an industrial design. Works of applied art also carry copyright, for 25 years from first publication.
How to register copyright in the UAE: step by step
You apply online through MoET’s Intellectual Works Rights Registration service, with one finished work per application. You upload a copy of the work and ID documents, plus an authorization letter or power of attorney where someone files for the authors or for a company. Estimated time: MoET’s published average is 3 working days once the file is complete.
If MoET refuses the application, a grievance must be filed within 30 days of the notice. The Grievances Committee for Copyrights is chaired by a judge, and its decisions can be appealed to court within 30 days. We prepare the grievance and handle any court stage.
How much does copyright registration cost in the UAE?
As of October 2026, the MoET government fee is AED 50 per author for individuals and AED 200 for a company or institution. Each application covers one work, so three songs mean three applications. A replacement certificate costs AED 200. Gatestone’s professional fees are quoted separately, estimated from AED 3,000 per work, so you see the government fee and our fee as two lines.
Government fees (MoET, as of October 2026)
| Service | Government fee |
|---|---|
| Registration, individual | AED 50 per author |
| Registration, company or institution | AED 200 |
| Replacement certificate | AED 200 |
| Infringement complaint to MoET |
AED 100 for individuals AED 350 for companies |
Government fee and professional fee, per work
| Government fee (paid to MoET) | Professional fee (estimated) | |
|---|---|---|
| Work by an individual author | AED 50 | Estimated from AED 3,000 |
| Work owned by a company | AED 200 | Estimated from AED 3,000 |
Your quote confirms our exact fee and what it covers, after the consultation and before anything is filed. Government fees are set by MoET, charged on top of professional fees, and confirmed in your quotation.
Can you copyright software or an app in the UAE?
Yes. Software, smart apps and databases are protected as copyright works in the UAE, and they can be registered with MoET. Each program is a separate work, so each one needs its own application. Using software without the owner’s permission can be punished by a fine of AED 30,000 to AED 100,000 per program.
- UAE law excludes software from patent protection. A device or technical process around the software is a separate question; see whether you can patent the technical invention behind it.
- Repeat offenses carry fines of AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000.
- Code written by employees or contractors raises an ownership question, covered below.
Registering books, music, artwork, photos and video
Every type of work needs a copy of the finished work, the author details and the documents above, with one application per work.
| Work | Examples | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Written works | Books, articles, lectures | File the finished manuscript |
| Music and sound | Compositions and songs | Performers and phonogram producers hold separate related rights for 50 years |
| Art and photography | Drawings, paintings, sculpture, photographs | Each piece is a separate work |
| Film and video | Audio-visual works | File the finished cut |
| Applied art | Artistic designs applied to products | Protected for 25 years from first publication; an industrial design can protect the product’s appearance |
The UAE has been in the Paris Convention since 19 September 1996 and the PCT since 10 March 1999 (WIPO Lex). A late PCT entry can be restored only in limited cases.
Who owns the work: staff, freelancers and agencies
The person or company on the registration must be the right owner. Where employees, freelancers or an agency created the work, collect the agreements that show who owns it before you file.
MoET asks for an authorization letter when someone files for several authors, and for the ID of any transferee.
Moral rights, such as being credited as the author, stay with the author and cannot be assigned.
If others will use the work, set the terms in a written agreement. Our team prepares licensing and franchise agreements.
How long does copyright last in the UAE?
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021, an author’s economic rights in the UAE generally last for the author’s lifetime plus 50 years. Collective works whose author is a company, anonymous works and works published after the author’s death are protected for 50 years from first publication. Applied art gets 25 years, and the author’s moral rights never expire.
| Work | Protection |
|---|---|
| Most works | The author’s lifetime plus 50 years, counted from 1 January of the year after death |
| Joint works | 50 years after the death of the last surviving author |
| Collective works whose author is a company | 50 years from first publication |
| Anonymous, pseudonymous and posthumous works | 50 years from first publication |
| Applied art | 25 years from first publication |
| Performers and phonogram producers | 50 years |
| Broadcasting organizations | 20 years |
| Moral rights, such as being credited as author | Perpetual, and they cannot be assigned |
Registration does not need to be renewed.
How Gatestone helps with copyright registration
Gatestone Group checks who owns each work, prepares the documents and submits each application to MoET.
The questions we ask
- What did you create, and is it finished?
- Who created it: you, co-authors, employees, freelancers or an agency? Is there a written agreement?
- Is it already published, online or on sale, and where?
- Will you license, sell or share it, and with whom?
- For software: how many programs or apps, and who wrote the code?
- Do you also need to protect a name or logo?
What you receive
- Which works to register, and in whose name
- The documents list
- The government fee and our fee as separate lines
- Next steps if copying is already happening
Copyright registration is part of our intellectual property services, from offices in Dubai, Riyadh and London.
What can you do if someone copies your work in the UAE?
You can file an infringement complaint with MoET online, ask the court for urgent orders to stop publication and seize copies, and ask customs to suspend clearance of infringing goods. MoET also works with the telecoms regulator to block websites that infringe copyright, following a complaint. The authorities and courts decide each case.
| Route | What it can do | Key figure |
|---|---|---|
| MoET complaint | Online complaint; MoET issues an administrative report | AED 100 for individuals AED 350 for companies |
| Website blocking | MoET’s InstaBlock center works with the telecoms regulator (TDRA) to block infringing websites | Launched February 2025 |
| Summary judge | Orders to stop publication, seize copies and freeze revenue | Main lawsuit due within 20 days |
| Customs | Suspends clearance of infringing goods, on its own initiative or at your request | Up to 20 days |
| Criminal courts | At least 2 months’ imprisonment, a fine of AED 10,000 to AED 100,000, or both | Higher for repeat offenses; compensation can also be claimed |
The UAE is party to the Berne Convention and the WIPO Copyright Treaty, both since 14 July 2004, so works from other member countries are protected in the UAE without UAE registration. We prepare MoET complaints and handle court stages. No outcome is guaranteed.
- Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I copyright my business name or logo?
Is there a copyright office in Dubai?
How long does copyright registration take in the UAE?
How do I copyright a book, song or artwork in the UAE?
Can I register an idea or an unfinished work?
What does a copyright registration certificate prove?
Can a foreign author or company protect copyright in the UAE?
Put your ownership on record
Tell us what you created and who worked on it. We confirm the owner, list the documents and quote government and professional fees separately before anything is filed.
- Testimonials
What Clients Say About Us
Entrepreneurs, brand owners, and companies choose Gatestone Group because they want clear advice, careful document support, and a smoother trademark registration experience in the UAE.
Mahmood and his team at Gatestone Group where helping a few of my clients with their business in Dubai and their service and communication...
I have had an outstanding experience working with Gatestone for the registration of two business entities in the UAE. From the initial consultation ....