'Protecting Intellectual Property Propels Qatar's Economic Growth'

Doha, Qatar: Intellectual property (IP) protection and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) are essential tools for fostering innovation, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), and advancing sustainable development in Qatar, said Dr. Susan L Karamanian, Dean of the College of Law at HBKU, during the opening ceremony of the Conference on the Role of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property Protection, and Innovation in Advancing Foreign Direct Investment for Sustainable Development.

The official emphasised the importance of providing robust mechanisms to safeguard intellectual property while ensuring effective ways to resolve disputes.

She explained that these alternative mechanisms not only make dispute resolution more efficient but also reduce the burden on the judiciary.

“This is a big development because it facilitates dispute resolution, but it also means that the role of the judiciary may not be quite as pronounced as it once was,” she told The Peninsula.

Dr. Karamanian also stressed that IP protection is vital for sustaining innovation and positioning Qatar as a hub for investment.

The dean stressed,“There is no question that there are a lot of inventors in this country, and they benefit by having their hard work subject to protection. If you spend a lot of money and time inventing something, and somebody can copy it tomorrow, what is the incentive for you to invent? That is one of the critical issues here.”

With information spreading globally in seconds, the risk of copying has grown beyond borders.“The potential for copying is not just here, but also abroad, with somebody copying the work of an inventor in Qatar in another country,” Dr. Karamanian noted.

Turning to sector-specific examples, the dean of the college of law pointed to the energy industry as a crucial area where IP protection can bolster national growth.

She said,“If you look at technology in the oil and gas sector, that is critical. The way in which it is protected and the way in which it can help grow the country of Qatar, including in alternative energy, is also critical for the sustainability component.”

While ADR is already widely used in commercial cases, IP disputes have often been seen as involving the authority of the state. However, she outlined that arbitration and mediation are becoming increasingly relevant in the IP sphere.

Dr. Karamanian said,“We do have disputes under license agreements, and it is those disputes that will then have a clause to arbitrate or mediate. Any such contracts will have a clause to arbitrate or mediate disputes under them.”

Highlighting the broader economic impact, the official pointed to advances in health and life sciences, particularly precision medicine, as examples of how IP protection can directly benefit society.

“The work that is being done in the health and life sciences in this country, particularly in precision medicine, is significant to the extent that it can be adopted internally and protected. It can lead to the creation of companies and enable individuals to hire others, which in turn generates more employment,” she said.

By linking ADR and IP protection with innovation, investment, and sustainability, Dr. Karamanian underscored their importance to Qatar's long-term vision.“The intersection of intellectual property, ADR, and sustainable development is central to influencing Qatar's position as a hub of innovation and investment,” Dr. Karamanian added.

The two-day conference is expected to bring together leading experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the globe to examine how ADR, intellectual property rights, and innovation intersect as essential forces in promoting sustainable economic development and drawing FDIs.

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