Only few Arab countries have a national intellectual property strategy with measures that encourage and facilitate the effective development, management, and protection of intellectual property rights. Intellectual property policies is essential in R&D management, enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship. This report is a desk review of intellectual property laws and practices in some Arab countries. It explores the link between intellectual property, innovation, competitiveness, and the SDGs' progress and achievements.
The report also proposes some practical solutions on the dilemma of implementing strong or weak intellectual property protection for either protecting innovators or ensuring openness. The proposed solutions are based on the experience of several public institutes, academia and non-profit organizations. The report concludes with several recommendations on intellectual property development and management in the Arab region.