Global cooperation to combat counterfeits
dubai — An international cooperation to combat counterfeit products and to protect intellectual property rights was forged at the seventh Regional Intellectual Property Crime Conference in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) held in Dubai on Monday.
The conference, organised by the Emirates Intellectual Property Association (EIPA) in cooperation with Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation), Dubai Police, Dubai Customs and other private entities, also addressed the challenges brought about by intellectual property (IP) crimes, including cyber smuggling or selling of counterfeit products online.
Major-General Dr Abdel Quduos Alobaidli, assistant commander-in-chief for quality and excellence at the Dubai Police and EIPA chairman, emphasised on the importance of international cooperation among all agencies and authorities involved in the battle against IP crimes in the UAE and the Mena region.
“This conference is part of our commitment to support the country’s development process on innovation, which our wise leadership believes to be the secret of government survival and renewal and a key factor to achieve progress,” Alobaidli said.
“Our cooperation with the Interpol and other authorities in charge of IP rights in the UAE is a step forward to protect creativity and encourage innovation, which in turn can help build a new generation of scientists, thinkers and innovators who are qualified to create and explore a better future,” he underlined.
Alobaidli also threw the spotlight on the “successful experiences of the UAE in addressing IP violations and crimes, which is seen as an important factor in the moves to drive in more economic growth and promote innovation and creativity as part of UAE Vision 2021.”
Last year, Dh1.6 billion worth of counterfeit items including mobile phones, cosmetics and handbags were confiscated by the UAE Department of Economic Development.
In the first six months of 2017, Dubai Customs seized Dh72.584 million worth of fake products. Confiscated were around 130 counterfeit items, including cosmetics, perfumes, watches, eyewear, clothing, fabrics, tyres and car spareparts, telephone accessories,
Our cooperation with the Interpol and other authorities in charge of IP rights in the UAE is a step forward to protect creativity and encourage innovation.” Major-General Dr Abdel Quduos Alobaidli, chairman, EIPA
computers, medicines and medical equipment.
Meanwhile, Huda Barakat, chair of the Middle East Advisory Council of the International Trademark Association (ITA), said that the UAE ranks highest among countries in the Mena region in terms of implementing the “rule of law” and protecting intellectual property.
In the 2016 ITA evaluation, the UAE scored 79.8 per cent (a big improvement from its 73.1 per cent socre in 2015), followed by Saudi Arabia at 67.8; then Bahrain and Jordan at 66.3 and 62 per cent respectively. Egypt scored 35.6 per cent.
angel@khaleejtimes.com