Patents are protected under the UAE’s Industrial Property Law (Federal Law No. 17 of 2002), as amended by Federal Law No. 31 of 2006. The UAE operates under two systems, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system for domestic patents, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Patent system which provides a mechanism for regional filings of patent applications within the GCC countries. The GCC is not part of the PCT system, so patent applications of local interest only should be filed through the GCC system. However, it is possible to register patents in the UAE to maximise protection.
