The UAE has taken significant steps to protect intellectual property rights by blocking over 1,000 websites this year for illegally broadcasting entertainment content. The Ministry of Economy (MoE) reported that most of these websites were shut down during Ramadan, a period marked by high demand for multimedia content.
Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, the assistant undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Rights Sector at the MoE, highlighted the success of the ‘InstaBlock’ initiative, implemented during Ramadan. This initiative led to the blocking of 1,117 websites that infringed on intellectual property rights by illegally streaming entertainment content owned by various media networks.
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The number of websites blocked in 2024 represents a substantial increase compared to 2023, which saw only 62 such sites being shut down. Al Muaini attributed this to the development of a comprehensive approach that includes a specialized instant response service for handling complaints related to copyright infringements on live online broadcasting. This initiative demonstrates the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding intellectual property rights and ensuring the legal distribution of digital content.
