Page 86 - MINISTRY OF CULTURE PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2025

Moreover, over 9,500 industrial designs have been registered. His Excellency also
highlighted the success of the Anti-Piracy Lab, launched by the Ministry last year to block
websites violating intellectual property and copyright laws, which has successfully shut down
4,076 infringing websites.
Prominent role:

In a video address shown at the ceremony, Anita Huss, President of the IFRRO, affirmed the
federation's support for the Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association,
commending the association's significant role in raising awareness of copyright and
intellectual property rights in the UAE and the wider region.
She said:“We are proud to be hosting the first International Reprographic Rights Conference
in the UAE under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, with whom I have
always had the honour of engaging in fruitful discussions on the pivotal role of intellectual
property in supporting creative and cultural industries. We have continuously explored ways
to strengthen the collaboration between ERRA and IFRRO to establish a robust foundation
for global reprographic rights protection.”
Ambitious goals:
This conference underscores the UAE's commitment to fostering a sustainable creative
environment and supporting global efforts to protect intellectual property rights, recognising
them as vital cultural and economic development components. With a clear set of ambitious
objectives, the conference aims to raise awareness of reprographic rights and their crucial
role in the creative economy, encouraging cooperation between collective management
organisations (CMOs), publishers, and authors while facilitating the exchange of knowledge
between regional and international reprographic rights experts. The conference will also
highlight best practices in rights protection and the publishing industry's digital
transformation.
Panel discussions:
The conference agenda on its first day featured panel discussions centred around the
event's key themes. Majd Al Shehhi led a session titled 'Unauthorised Use and Its Impact on
the Income of Creative Works,' which included contributions from His Excellency Dr
Abdulrahman Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Sector at the
Ministry of Economy; Jim Alexander, International Director of the Copyright Agency at
IFRRO; Dr Sharon Wong from the Hong Kong Copyright Licensing Association; and Dr
Mohammed Al Kamali from ERRA.
In another panel moderated by Jim Alexander, Michael Healy, Executive Director of Rights
Owners and International Relations at CCC, discussed 'Collective Management as a
Solution' with Sarah Tran from IFRRO, James Bennett from the UK Copyright Licensing
Agency, and Ana Maria Cabanillas from the Copyright Administration Centre in Argentina
(CADRA).

A third session, titled 'Artificial Intelligence and Libraries in the Digital Age,' explored the
impact of technological developments on libraries' future and AI's role in enhancing access
to knowledge and protecting reprographic rights. Moderated by Alia Al Shamsi, the panel
featured Fatima Al Hosani from the Ministry of Economy, Michael Healy from CCC, Nadia
Masoud from the University of Sharjah, and Sheikha Al Mutairi from the Emirates Library and
Information Association.
The session focused on how creators and institutions adapt to digital and societal
transformations impacting intellectual property rights. Notable attendees included writer and
media figure Mohammed Bin Dakhin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ERRA; His
Excellency Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director of the Emirates Publishers Association; Dr
Abdullah Al Sharhan, Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors of ERRA; writer Nadia
Al Najjar; and Ahmed Hussein, CEO of the Malaysia Copyright Centre (MARC).