Source: http://nipc-gulf.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-new-difc-intellectual-property-law.html
Timestamp: 2020-07-12 21:57:37
Document Index: 19799951

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'Art 14', 'Art 15', 'Art 16', 'art 16', 'arts 9', 'Art 15', 'Art 15', 'art15', 'art 8', 'arts 9', 'art 16']

Gulf: The New DIFC Intellectual Property Law - Designs
The New DIFC Intellectual Property Law - Designs
On 21 Nov 2019, a new intellectual property law known as Intellectual Property Law DIFC Law No 4 of 2019. came into force in the Dubai International Financial Centre. I wrote an introduction to, and overview of the new law on 11 Dec 2019 and discussed its provisions on patents and utility models (known as "utility certificates" in the DIFC) in The New DIFC Intellectual Property Law - Patents and Utility Certificates on 9 Jan 2020. In this article, I discuss Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Law on General Rules on Industrial Drawings and Industrial Designs.
Design is important to Dubai A report commissioned by The Dubai Design & Fashion Council and the Dubai Design District expected the design sector, which includes architecture, fashion, graphic, interior and product design, to grow by 6% a year between 2016 and 2021. The Dubai government supports designers through the Council by providing advice and information on intellectual property and other legal services. Well before the new Intellectual Property Law came into force, the Council agreed with the DIFC Disputes Resolution Authority to incorporate a DIFC choice of law clause into their contracts and designate the DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority for the resolution of disputes (see Designer Courts 12 March 2018 DIFC Courts press release).
The new DIFC design law is compressed into three short articles:
Art 14 confirms that the registration of Industrial Drawings and Industrial Designs with the UAE Ministry of Economy is recognized in the DIFC and that the rights conferred by registration will be enforced in the DIFC;
Art 15 sets out the rights conferred by registration; and
Art 16 applies the provisions on entitlement and infringement in patent and utility certificates law to Industrial Drawings and Industrial Designs.
The table in para 3 of Sched 1 to the Law defines an Industrial Drawing as:
"Any innovative creation of lines and colors which generate a product that can be used in any industry or craft and in respect of which the Ministry has issued a deed of protection."
The same table defined an Industrial Design as:
"any innovative three-dimensional shape that can be used in industry or craft and in respect of which the Ministry has issued a deed of protection."
Applications to register Industrial Drawings and Industrial Designs are made to the Ministry. The patent application portal appears to indicate that it is possible to apply for registration through that page but it has not been possible to obtain confirmation through the chat facility.
As art 16 applies the provisions of arts 9 to 13 to Industrial Drawings and Industrial Designs, the rules as to entitlement and employees' compensation are4 the same as for patents. Readers are referred to my article on patents and utility certificates of 9 Jan 2020.
Art 15 (1) of the Law confers on the registered proprietor of an Industrial Drawing or Industrial Design the following exclusive rights:
"(a) using the Industrial Drawing or Industrial Design in manufacturing any product;
(b) using, selling, or offering for sale any product relating to the Industrial Design or Industrial Drawing;
(c) importing any product using an Industrial Drawing or an Industrial Design; or
(d) possessing an Industrial Drawing or an Industrial Design with intention to use, or offer for sale, or sell the same."
Art 15 (2) makes clear that the rights referred to in art15 (1) shall be restricted to acts that are undertaken for industrial or commercial purposes and shall not extend to acts relating to a protected product after its sale. This is similar to art 8 (2) for patents and utility certificates and seems to indicate the incorporation into DIFC law of something like the US first sale doctrine.
The rules on infringement, defences to patent infringement and reversal of, the burden of proof that apply to patents and utility certificates under arts 9 to 11 are applied to Industrial Drawings and Industrial Designs by art 16. References in those articles to "patents" or "utility certificates"are deemed to refer to "Industrial Drawings" or "Industrial Designs" as the case may require. Once again, readers are referred to my article on patents and utility certificates.
Anyone wishing to discuss this article or DIFC design law generally should call my clerk on +44(0)7986 948267 or send me a message through my contact page while this emergency continues, I shall gladly respond by phone, VoIP or email,
Posted by Jane Lambert at 11:34
Labels: ' compensation, defences, Designer Courts, DIFC, Dubai, Dubai Design and Fashion Council, entitlement, industrial designs, Industrial Drawings, infringement, Ministry of Economy, No 4 of 2018
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