Collective Rights Management Organizations in the GCC Region – UAE Is Taking the Lead

This report addresses the newly evolving ecosystem of societies for collective management of copyright and neighbouring rights in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The focus of the study is on the legislative framework for rights administration in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It also analyses the activities of licensed national organizations Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA), Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA) and Music Nation, which currently represent the region’s only operating collective management organizations. The author identifies in her research that the collective rights management system of the UAE is influenced both by European traditions and the practice of the US rights management bodies, with some distinctive national features. The report also examines the relevant copyright legislations of Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia in search for provisions on collective management. In conclusion, it identifies only implicit recognition of collective licencing in some GCC countries (Qatar and Kuwait); fully developed, yet unimplemented legal regimes in others (Oman and Bahrain); and emerging legislative landscapes with yet unclear characteristics in still others (Saudi Arabia).