Saudi Arabia: Commercial Courts to Start Handling Copyrights, Patents Cases

Saudi Arabia: Commercial Courts to Start Handling Copyrights, Patents Cases
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Saudi Arabia: Commercial Courts to Start Handling Copyrights, Patents Cases

Saudi Arabia: Commercial Courts to Start Handling Copyrights, Patents Cases

Commercial courts and departments will start handling copyrights and patents related cases starting February.

The cases will be heard in commercial courts, as well as commercial departments inside general courts across the Kingdom. Meanwhile, the cases filed before that date at the Committee for Examine Patents on Inventions Lawsuits and the committee for copyrights protection, will be resolved through those two committees.

The Supreme judicial council approved the shift and the justice ministry worked on a plan to train judges on copyrights system and how to handle patents disputes inside commercial courts.

“We want to ensure providing the best judicial principles and training on intellectual property system based on research and study” said the Saudi Ministry of Justice.

“We are collecting the previous work done by related committees that looked into those cases in order to prepare for the shift,” it added.

Previously, there were two committees that handle intellectual property rights related cases; one is the Committee for Examine Patents on Invention Lawsuits, and the second is the committee to handle violations of the copyrights protection system.



Scholars’ Gathering Affirms Islamic Consensus on Women’s Right to Education

The exclusive Scholars’ Session, part of the “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities” initiative, was held in Islamabad. Asharq Al-Awsat
The exclusive Scholars’ Session, part of the “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities” initiative, was held in Islamabad. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Scholars’ Gathering Affirms Islamic Consensus on Women’s Right to Education

The exclusive Scholars’ Session, part of the “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities” initiative, was held in Islamabad. Asharq Al-Awsat
The exclusive Scholars’ Session, part of the “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities” initiative, was held in Islamabad. Asharq Al-Awsat

Bringing together representatives from Fiqh academies, organizations, councils, and religious committees, along with a distinguished assembly of muftis and senior scholars from various schools of thought and sects across the Islamic world, the Scholars’ Session reaffirmed the enduring consensus in Islam—both historically and contemporarily—on the legitimate right of women to education.

The exclusive Scholars’ Session, part of the “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities” initiative, was held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, under the leadership of Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars.

At the conclusion of the extensive scholarly dialogue, which lasted several hours, all participants unanimously affirmed—with enlightened judgment—the Islamic consensus, both historically and contemporarily, on the legitimate right of women to education.

This consensus is based on the comprehensive Islamic texts concerning the matter, affirming that women possess the same rights as their male counterparts to education at any age, level, or field of study, provided it aligns with Islamic teachings.

The discussion underscored that this right is rooted in the fundamental Islamic obligation of seeking knowledge, which applies equally to both genders, in accordance with Islamic teachings.

The dialogue included a thorough refutation of all misconceptions surrounding women's education, whether these were complete or partial. Participants emphasized that their religious declaration is intended for all individuals, institutions, and both public and private entities across the Islamic world and minority communities, adhering to the appropriate Islamic methodology for such declarations.

The scholars’ statements praised the comprehensive principles related to the legitimate empowerment of women in general, and their education in particular, as outlined in the Charter of Makkah and the Charter of Building Bridges between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects.

Both international conferences, which issued these charters, were supported by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.