Intellectual Property Protection at Riyadh Season Events

Riyadh Season is one of the region’s most prominent entertainment platforms, combining artistic performances, cultural festivals, and commercial activities. With such diversity, protecting intellectual property (IP) rights becomes essential to ensure respect for creativity, safeguard investments, and preserve the rights of artists, organizers, and creators.

First: The Concept of Intellectual Property in Events

Intellectual property encompasses a set of rights that protect intangible creations, such as:

  • Copyrights: covering texts, songs, music, designs, and artistic performances.

  • Trademarks: distinguishing the names and logos of events and participating companies.

  • Related Rights: such as performance rights of artists, producers, and event organizers.

At Riyadh Season, these rights are part of the legal framework governing event management, where organizers establish clear mechanisms to protect every contributor involved in creative or production work.

Second: Mechanisms for Protecting Rights During Events

The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) and the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) oversee the monitoring and enforcement of intellectual property rights during events.
Protection mechanisms include:

  • Registering event and show trademarks before their official launch.

  • Documenting performance contracts to safeguard artists’ and participants’ rights.

  • Reviewing licenses for content used in concerts or shows to ensure no infringement of others’ rights.

  • Field and digital monitoring of photography, broadcasting, and the sale of counterfeit or unlicensed products within event venues.

These measures ensure that all materials displayed, sold, or broadcast during the season are properly authorized by rights holders.

Third: Protection of Trademarks and Artistic Performances

Trademarks are among the most valuable assets of Riyadh Season, giving each event its unique identity and marketing power.
The law prohibits the use of any logo or mark similar to a registered trademark with the intent to mislead or gain unfair advantage.

As for artistic performances, copying, rebroadcasting, or filming shows without permission from the owner or official organizer is strictly prohibited and constitutes a clear violation of copyright and performance rights.

Fourth: Copyright and Performance Rights

Artists and creators in Saudi Arabia are granted comprehensive legal protection under the Copyright Law, which includes:

  • Prohibition of recording, publishing, or redistributing their works without authorization.

  • The right to be credited as the creators of their artistic works.

  • The right to receive financial compensation for every commercial use of their creations.

Event organizers collaborate with legal advisors to ensure these rights are included in performance contracts, thereby protecting artists both locally and internationally.

Fifth: Penalties for Intellectual Property Violations

Saudi law imposes strict measures against IP violations, including:

  • Financial fines of up to 250,000 SAR.

  • Closure of the violating establishment or revocation of its commercial license.

  • Criminal liability in cases of repeated or intentional infringement.

These penalties are enforced in coordination between SAIP and the relevant security authorities.

Sixth: Awareness and Compliance

Beyond enforcement, the concerned authorities actively promote voluntary compliance and awareness among event participants and beneficiaries through:

  • Educational workshops for artists and organizers.

  • Awareness campaigns on social media platforms.

  • Displaying informational guidelines at event venues.

Conclusion

Protecting intellectual property is not merely a legal obligation—it is a cornerstone for developing a fair and innovative entertainment environment.
As Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector continues to grow, respecting the rights of authors and trademark owners has become vital to building trust in the events industry and positioning Riyadh Season as a global model that merges creativity with legal discipline.