In a major step forward in the UAE’s battle against piracy, the Intellectual Property Rights Department of Dubai Customs has joined hands with various federal ministries and government bodies in Dubai to launch coordinated efforts to protect IPR in the country. The announcement was made today (Wednesday, 26th April, 2006) on the occasion of the World IPR Day.
The IPR Department, which has been spearheading the drive to protect Intellectual Property Rights in the UAE since its inception in late 2005, is working in close coordination with the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Health, Dubai Police, and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), among others, to step up measures against piracy and safeguard the rights of investors and manufacturers.
The IPR Department is the first government department in the UAE and the region to officially commemorate the World IPR Day. The World IPR Day also marks the concluding day of the workshop organized by the Department, which sought to make Dubai Customs Inspectors more aware of their responsibilities and involved briefings on how to distinguish between bona fide and counterfeit goods.
Dubai Customs’ IPR Department is dedicated to the cause of creating a conducive investment environment in the UAE by bringing down piracy to minimal levels. Effective protection of IPR is crucial to ensuring sustained growth of national economies, as investors cutting across business and industrial sectors tend to be reluctant to invest in countries with high piracy rates. By intensifying the campaign against piracy and taking stringent action against violators of IPR laws, the IPR Department seeks to boost the confidence of global companies in the UAE’s ability to effectively keep piracy under check and reassure them to step up investments in the country.
“The establishment of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) and the formulation of TRIPS have played an important role in the protection of IPR the world over,” said Khalid Khammas, Executive Director- Customs Commitment, “As we commemorate the World IPR Day, Dubai Customs would like to reiterate its steadfast commitment to all relevant international agreements, and we are resolved to bring down piracy levels in the UAE by working closely together with federal ministries and government departments.”
Yousuf Ozair Mubarak, Manager, Intellectual Property Rights Department, Dubai Customs, said: "The IPR Department carries out its functions in accordance with various regional and international agreements on Intellectual Property Rights. The chief responsibilities of the IPR Department includes enforcing Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights, implementing international agreements, and ensuring adequate and effective protection through legislation, administration and enforcement of IPR. It also acts as a point of contact for 14 Customs locations throughout Dubai for investigating possible cases of counterfeit goods."
Besides striving to facilitate a healthy trade and business environment, the IPR Department is also involved in raising awareness about the detrimental effects of piracy among both businesses and the public. It calls upon the public to keep away from buying or using counterfeit goods and exhorts new investors to take the path of innovation and creativity.
In the period from June 2005 to December 2005, Dubai Customs had seized counterfeit goods worth more than AED 9 million, with goods seized in the month of September alone being worth AED 2.9 million. Mobile phones and accessories, CDs, electronic goods and tobacco products constituted the bulk of counterfeit goods seized.
