UAE: Filming movies in cinemas can get you fined or jailed

• Filming or recording movies in UAE cinemas is illegal.
• Penalties include fines up to Dh100,000 and/or 2 months imprisonment.
• The law applies to all devices, not just smartphones.

As per the new law in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), if you are taking pictures or recording video from your smartphone or any other gadget in a cinema, you will have to either pay a hefty fine or go to jail.

Although, ahead of the start of the movie, it is advised not to take pictures or record them, movie lovers still indulge in this act.

“In the UAE, it is illegal to film or photograph a movie scene while watching a film in a cinema without the permission of the copyright holders of the movie contents,” said Alexander Kukuev, managing partner, Uppercase Legal Advisory.

The former Federal Law No. 7 of 2002 was superseded by the UAE Government’s new Federal Law No. 38 of 2021 covering Copyright & Neighboring Rights, which went into effect in January 2022.

“As for copyright infringement, Articles 39, 40 and 41 of the UAE Federal Law No. 38 of 2021 establish penalties which can include fines, imprisonment, and the seizure and destruction of infringing copies, as well as the acts that are considered copyright infringement, such as reproducing, distributing, and communicating a copyrighted work without the permission of the copyright owner,” said Kukuev.

“In the UAE, it is illegal to film or photograph a movie scene while watching a film in a cinema without the permission of copyright holders. The offence is considered a copyright violation, and offenders may be subject to fines of up to Dh100,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two months,” he said, quoting Article 30 of the law.

Furthermore, international conventions and agreements, such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, serve as the foundation for the UAE’s copyright laws. In 2004, the United Arab Emirates joined the convention.

In the United Arab Emirates, entry to movie theaters is likewise restricted based on age.

“UAE cinemas must strictly adhere to the age rating, which requires inspecting customers’ proof of age and identification documents. However, there is no liability for underage persons or their parents – the key consequence will be deprivation of opportunity to watch a film in the cinema,” he added.

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