Copyright laws must be policed

The UAE’s developing creative industry calls for stronger regulations and enforcement

Dubai band Hollaphonic's members, Oliver Wood, left, and Greg Steiner want to get rewarded for their creativity. Satish Kumar / The National
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Musicians are among the many creative people who are affected by the lack of copyright enforcement in the UAE. There is no local performing rights society that collects and distributes royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers and no defined cost-per-play for a song on the radio or a streaming service.

One example highlighted by The National is the Dubai electronic music duo Hollaphonic, who complained that they didn't receive any royalty cheques after their single Dangerous became a hit on ­local radio. The two artists have the right to be upset. Music publishing is one of the most important revenue generators for artists who write original material. Experts estimate that at least Dh20 million per year is being lost by regional artists from missed ­royalties.

But this is also part of a bigger regional issue. The region lacks a culture that supports and protects intellectual property. This starts from infractions such as music, movies and e-books that can be downloaded for free from sharing websites, often without the person doing so being cognisant they are depriving an artist of the fruits of their talent. It can extend to purchasing fake designer handbags and watches through to the appropriation of the technology behind groundbreaking inventions.

Creative industries in the UAE are developing rapidly and for that to continue, stricter enforcement of copyright laws is needed to ensure creative people reap the rewards of their work. Doing so requires no tolerance for even minor infractions of intellectual property – such as the paltry number of fils that artists such as Hollaphonic would be paid each time their song is played on local radio. Doing so will help avoid more significant infractions.

In more mature systems, the copyright system is self-enforcing. Creators register at a copyright agency, which makes it easier for them to pursue a claim of infringement and also acts as a deterrent to would-be intellectual property thieves. With strong enforcement of the laws, creative people will feel comfortable setting up here.