It’s not often that the entire Arab world can agree on any collective action, but a new collaboration looks to change that, at least in terms of protecting the entrepreneurial spirit of those in the region.

 The League of Arab States, Microsoft Corp and Khasawneh & Associates, a member of KSLG, joined together last month to create the online portal Arab Intellectual Property Centre.  Serving as a central hub for best practice sharing and legal resources on intellectual property in the Arab region, it hopes to provide the region with a central database on intellectual property and internet crime issues within the region.  Laws and regulations, international treaties and agreements, and intellectual property case law from around the Middle East will be made available.

So, with survey data estimating the software piracy rate at around 60% in the region, some believe the centre’s establishment demonstrates the reactionary—instead of proactive—mindset of the Arab League. One of the principal challenges in the region is the lack of shared procedures and cross-border integration. This limits the access of governments, industry and law enforcement agencies to case law, information on the distribution of counterfeit goods, trends, and best practices, which then negatively impact the ability to enforce intellectual property rights and cybercrime offenses.

The Centre is part of a broader initiative launched by the Arab League to educate students of media law on the value of intellectual property. The portal is partially funded by investment from Microsoft and is publicly available in Arabic and English.