Critical Examination of the Intellectual Property Regimes in the Gulf-Co-operation Council (GCC) States

Abstract

The research focuses on the intellectual property developments made by the member states of the GCC and how intellectual property development and subsequent deployment, can act as a catalyst for financial prosperity. The main purpose of the research is to analyse and examine the intellectual property provisions currently in existence within the states of the GCC. The aim is to provide recommendations to improve the current level of intellectual property protection at both a national level and at a state level in the GCC through an integrated intellectual property protection model. There have been three main stages in the development of intellectual property in the Gulf states; a pre Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) stage, the current level of TRIPS compliance and a push towards TRIPS Plus. To date, each individual Gulf state has developed its intellectual property laws at varying rates. Post 2000, the Gulf states all display a set of intellectual property laws that are largely compliant with TRIPS. Therefore a question arises as to how much scope there is in the current laws to accede to more stringent intellectual property provisions. The research will show this is a key question for the GCC, its international partners and the wider trading communities of the WTO. The findings of the research are that the GCC does not have the capacity to take on TRIPS Plus provisions without compromising its sharia laws and value and that instead an integrated intellectual property protection model is needed.