Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, on Thursday, issued a statement warning people that Islam prohibits the infringement of intellectual property (IP) rights and asks individuals to respect them, advising against the misuse of such rights or unlawfully benefitting from them.
The Saudi Gazette reported that the committee stated ideas too come under the category of IP and hold value. Thus, infringement of ideas is also not permissible without the permission of the owner, under a contract or a permit.
It further elaborated that any material or financial gains resulting from the IP are a right of the owner and cannot be taken without their permission.
The statement further warned against the unlawful possession of IP, benefitting from it, or acquiring any sort of compensation from it without the permission of its owner.
Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars and General President of Scholarly Research and Ifta, Grand Mufti of the Kingdom Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, commended the statement by the Permanent Committee for Ifta, noting that it was a notable step towards raising awareness of intellectual property rights and promoting respect in this area.
