Ministry of Economy inaugurates ‘InstaBlock Lab’ to accelerate instant blocking of websites violating Intellectual Property rights in the country

Lab to enhance collaboration between relevant government entities to ensure effective enforcement of IP protection and drive creative economy’s growth

H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for Intellectual Property (IP) Rights Sector at the Ministry of Economy, inaugurated the InstaBlock Lab at Dubai Media City. The lab is designed to accelerate the blocking of websites that violate IP rights by leveraging the latest artificial intelligence technology to combat digital piracy. It will instantly block unauthorized streaming websites that infringe on copyright laws and do not adhere to the country’s IP legislation. This initiative is part of the Ministry’s recently launched new IP system.

The lab will play a key role in strengthening cooperation between relevant government entities to effectively enforce the IP legislation in the country, protecting creators' rights and driving the growth of creative economy. The initiative marks a significant step in the UAE’s efforts to build a sustainable digital future for various creative sectors.

H.E. Dr. Al Muaini emphasized that the InstaBlock Lab contributes to enhancing the country’s standing in global anti-piracy indicators. The continuing national efforts to establish a secure digital environment, carried out in close collaboration with relevant regional and international stakeholders, are key to protecting intellectual property rights. Notably, in 2024, a total of 4,557 websites were blocked in cooperation with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), compared to 1,123 websites in 2023. This contributes to economic growth, enhances digital content quality, fosters innovation, and strengthens intellectual property owners' confidence in the country's legislative framework for IP protection.

The Assistant Undersecretary said: “The launch of the lab is a significant milestone in the UAE’s innovation journey and reaffirms its commitment to developing innovative solutions that enhance IP protection and support digital economy’s sustainable growth. The initiative will strengthen collaboration between government and legal entities to ensure the enforcement of legislation that safeguards creators' rights in diverse sectors.”

H.E. Eng. Saeed Belhoul, Acting Deputy Director General for Information and Digital Government Sector at TDRA, said: “We are proud to support and empower this ambitious initiative, which aligns with the nation’s vision to build a dynamic digital ecosystem that fosters seamless collaboration between government entities and the private sector, driving a shared vision for a sustainable digital future. Given the rapid advancements in the digital world, intellectual works are facing unprecedented challenges as digital revolution has spurred the unauthorized copying and distribution of protected content. This calls for the development of effective mechanisms to address these challenges and safeguard IP rights.”

H.E. added: “Driven by this commitment and through close cooperation between TDRA and the Ministry of Economy, we are proud to announce the launch of the InstaBlock Lab, a pivotal step in enhancing the protection of intellectual property rights in the digital space. This initiative provides a fast and precise mechanism to block websites that violate intellectual property laws, ensuring a safer environment for creative businesses. InstaBlock is not just a technology solution, but part of a comprehensive legislative framework aimed at supporting the creative economy and fostering a regulatory environment that encourages innovation and IP, in line with the 'We the UAE 2031' vision.”

The launch event was attended by representatives from both the public and private sectors, including the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, Dubai Media City, the Economic Security Center of Dubai, and LaLiga. Several MoUs were signed between the Ministry of Economy and key digital content platforms and intellectual property organizations, including the Brand Owners' Protection Group, Abu Dhabi Media, Starzplay, Yango Play, and OSN. These agreements will support coordination efforts and strengthen collaboration to safeguard digital and visual content and ensure copyright protection on streaming platforms using the advanced technologies provided by the InstaBlock Lab.

Thanks to its robust protection framework to safeguard creativity and foster an innovation-driven environment in the country, the InstaBlock Lab is poised to attract an increasing number of regional and international content platforms and creative ventures to the UAE.

The initiative is part of the Ministry of Economy’s new Intellectual Property System, launched early last year by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq, Minister of Economy. It includes 31 initiatives, most notably the 'InstaBlock,' in collaboration with TDRA to instantly address copyright infringement complaints related to live streaming and ensure swift action in blocking pirated content.