In the UAE, the Emirates Intellectual Property Association (EIPA) is a civil society organization that works to promote a culture of respect for intellectual property and increase individual awareness on the important role of IP. Over the years, the EIPA had implemented education and awareness programs related to IP in the UAE. Moreover, in 2018 the Intellectual Property Expert Diploma program, the first of its kind in the Arab World and conducted in cooperation with the Dhahi Khalfan Intellectual Property Centre and Dubai Courts, celebrated the graduation of the first batch of graduates.
The Association has initiated many measures to support IP Awareness in the UAE, these include:
* Organizing, coordinating co-hosting meetings, workshops, seminars, and conferences to spread awareness and address current and emerging challenges in the implementation of IP protection laws and the protection of cultural expression. One example is the annual regional conference to combat crimes against intellectual property which, in 2019, hosted a session on piracy of books in the digital world. Further, the EIPA is working on organizing an annual cinema conference on the protection of the rights of artists, producers and cinematic work.
* Spreading awareness about ownership of creative and cultural content through social media and the press. It has also developed online infrastructure to facilitate the establishment of remote courses and training programs to enable participation of entities both inside and outside the country and to expand the scope of knowledge and awareness about everything related to intellectual property.
* Signing Memoranda of Understanding to collaborate with partners. Since 2010, 46 Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with various entities including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and INTERPOL to help reinforce cooperative frameworks across various fields related to Intellectual Property, benefit from joint expertise, exchange studies, enhance organizational work and achieve joint strategic goals.
* Partnering with universities and schools to conduct workshops and training programs that spread awareness and nurture understanding of intellectual property among the youth. One example is a course entitled "How to protect your book from piracy - Abu Dhabi Publishing Forum".
* In cooperation with partners, launching an Intellectual Property Award to enhance competitiveness in patents and intellectual property rights and consolidate a culture of innovation.
* Research in the field of intellectual property.