Muscat: The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, the Royal Opera House Muscat, and the Oman Music Center, hosted a celebration commemorating World Intellectual Property Day 2025 under the theme "Intellectual Property and Music: Feeling the Rhythm of Creativity. ".
The event sought to raise awareness about the necessity of preserving artistic works and encouraging creativity. This year's theme focused on music as a worldwide language that reflects cultural identity and brings people together, while also being an industry founded on intellectual property rights that require protection and support.
Nasra Sultan Al Habsi, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion's Director General of Commerce, underlined that World Intellectual Property Day is an occasion to raise public understanding of intellectual property rights as a cornerstone of sustainable development. She observed that IP rights, such as patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyrights, and geographical indications, help to improve the business climate and promote society development.
Al Habsi emphasized that intellectual property in music goes beyond writing tunes and words, encompassing performance recordings, album designs, and distribution tactics, all of which need an appropriate legal protection framework. She emphasized that obtaining appropriate licenses for the usage of musical pieces is an important instrument in protecting artists' rights, ensuring that they are appropriately paid when their work is utilized in movies, commercials, games, and live performances.
The celebration included live musical performances by Omani performers, as well as seminars by participating groups to address the obstacles that artists confront in safeguarding their creations. Discussions also addressed the function of law and contemporary technology in monitoring rights and promoting equitable usage.
Interactive workshops looked at how intellectual property promotes the music business and increases awareness among musicians.
The Ministry, represented by the National Intellectual Property Office, reported that 24,800 trademark examination applications were handled in 2024, while trademark filings increased to 14,100, up from 13,400 in 2023—a 5% increase.
Registered trademarks totaled 6,900, down from 7,700 the previous year. Copyright submissions increased significantly, from 143 in 2023 to 175 in 2024. Industrial design applications climbed by 115%, from 20 in 2023 to 43 in 2024, while national patent applications increased to 127, up from 100 in 2023.
Oman, in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), continues to promote respect for intellectual property rights through awareness campaigns, specialized seminars, workshops, and community activities aimed at producers, inventors, and authors in a variety of fields.
Dr. Saleh Said Massan, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry, as well as artists, musicians, inventors, and representatives from intellectual property agencies, attended the event.
