The College of Law at the University of Baghdad discussed a PhD dissertation entitled “Intellectual Property Issues in the Context of Artificial Intelligence: A Comparative Study”, submitted by Ali Abdul Jabbar Rahim, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Private Law. The dissertation defense was held in the College’s Conference Hall on Sunday, 28 June 2026.

The examining committee consisted of:

  1. Professor Dr. Ali Mutashar Abdul Sahib – Chairman
  2. Professor Dr. Hussein Ubaid Shuwaat – Member
  3. Professor Dr. Haifa Muzhir Falhi – Member
  4. Assistant Professor Dr. Suhad Faisal Fayhan – Member
  5. Assistant Professor Dr. Nada Abdul Kadhim Hussein – Member
  6. Professor Dr. Jalil Hassan Bashat – Member and Supervisor

The dissertation aimed to address intellectual property issues arising from artificial intelligence systems through a comparative legal study. It sought to establish the legal framework governing intellectual works generated by AI by analyzing legislation, judicial decisions, and legal scholarship in France, Italy, and the United States, while assessing the capacity of the Iraqi legal system to address these emerging issues.

The dissertation was structured into three chapters. The first examined the conceptual framework of artificial intelligence within the field of intellectual property. The second explored the eligibility of AI-generated intellectual works for legal protection. The third addressed the ownership of intellectual property rights in relation to works produced through artificial intelligence systems.

The study concluded with several recommendations, the most significant of which include:

  1. Resolving the legal debate over the ownership of AI-generated intellectual property in favor of the end user, who exercises actual or contractual control over, and provides the operational direction to, artificial intelligence systems.
  2. Drawing upon the existing principles of the Iraqi Civil Code—such as possession and appropriation—as alternative legal mechanisms for establishing ownership of AI-generated intellectual works in cases where the traditional requirements of originality, novelty, or innovation, as associated with human creative effort, are absent. This approach seeks to address the current legislative gap without the need to confer legal personality upon artificial intelligence systems.

  3. Proposing a comprehensive legislative draft entitled “Law on the Protection of Intellectual Works Generated by Artificial Intelligence Systems,” prepared by the candidate as part of the dissertation. The proposed legislation is intended to fill the existing legislative gap, comprehensively regulate intellectual property issues arising from AI-generated works, and provide an appropriate legal framework for their protection.

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