Assignments
Written assignments obtained from creators, which is the single most common gap we find in businesses.
Copyright arises automatically when a work is created, which is why businesses rarely think about it until there is a dispute. At that point the question is not whether copyright exists but who owns it, and the answer is often not the business that paid for the work.
Dubai Legal Expert advises on copyright across the UAE, covering ownership, assignment, recordal, licensing and enforcement for creative works, software, content and databases.
UAE copyright legislation protects literary, artistic and scientific works including software and databases, and protection arises on creation without any requirement to register. Recordal with the Ministry of Economy is available and is useful as evidence of ownership and date.
Ownership is where the difficulty sits. Work created by an employee in the course of employment is treated differently from work commissioned from an independent contractor, and without a written assignment a business may have a licence to use rather than ownership of what it paid for.
Contact UsAssignments from employees, contractors and agencies so the business owns what it commissioned.
Recordal with the Ministry of Economy as evidence of ownership and creation date.
Protection of software, databases, designs, marketing material and published content.
Licences for use of copyright works, including scope, territory, duration and sublicensing terms.
Action against unauthorised copying, including administrative complaints and civil proceedings.
Written assignments obtained from creators, which is the single most common gap we find in businesses.
Recordal and documentation establishing when a work was created and by whom.
Source code ownership, contractor assignments and escrow arrangements for commissioned development.
Licences with clear scope, territory, duration and sublicensing terms rather than vague permission.
Administrative and civil action against unauthorised copying and distribution.
Copyright ownership review during acquisitions and funding rounds, where gaps are routinely discovered.
A business pays an agency for a logo, a developer for an application and a writer for content, and assumes it owns all three. Without written assignments the position is frequently that the business holds a licence to use, not ownership, which becomes visible during due diligence or when the relationship ends.
The fix is straightforward if addressed early. Assignments are obtained, ideally as a standard term in every engagement, so that ownership of commissioned work transfers automatically rather than being negotiated later.
Establish ownership, document it, then enforce it.
We identify the works the business relies on, including software, content, designs and materials.
Contracts with employees, contractors and agencies are reviewed to establish actual ownership.
Written assignments are obtained where ownership does not currently sit with the business.
Recordal is arranged where evidence of ownership and creation date would be valuable.
Assignment and confidentiality terms are built into standard engagement documents going forward.
Infringement is addressed through administrative complaints and civil proceedings as appropriate.
Our entire brand identity had been created without an assignment. It was resolved in a week once we knew.
The investor due diligence flagged our source code ownership. Having the assignments already in place saved the round.
Protection arises automatically on creation. Recordal with the Ministry of Economy is optional but useful as evidence of ownership and creation date.
Without a written assignment, ownership frequently does not transfer to the commissioning business, which is why assignments should be standard in engagements.
Yes. Software and databases are protected as works under the UAE copyright framework.
Protection lasts for the author lifetime plus a further period set by the legislation, with different rules for certain categories of work.
Administrative complaints and civil proceedings are both available, and the appropriate route depends on the infringement and the outcome you need.
Yes. Making assignment a standard engagement term prevents the ownership gaps that otherwise surface during due diligence.
If you commissioned it without an assignment, you may not own it. The first consultation is free.
Office No. 9C, 9th Floor, Dubai Creek Tower, Next to Land Department, Deira, Dubai, UAE
Dubai Legal Experts provides trusted legal advocacy across the UAE with experienced lawyers and clear legal guidance.