Dubai Customs has firmly stood against infringements of intellectual property rights in order to protect society and the economy from the menace of counterfeit goods, and to support a competitive investment environment in Dubai by enabling producers to avoid losses arising from imitation of their brands.
In 2015, Dubai Customs inspectors made 135 seizures of fake items including electronics, watches, glasses, clothing, fabrics, cosmetics, medicines and medical equipment, tires, auto spare parts, telephones and computers valued at AED16.8 million.
“Intellectual property rights protection gains double importance for our national economy at the current stage, particularly because UAE has an orientation to focus on unleashing the spirit of creativity and innovation in government work and in society at large,” said Saeed Ahmed Al Tayer, Executive Director of Policies and Legislation Division at Dubai Customs.
He said the protection of intellectual property rights was of paramount importance to Dubai Customs and as such extensive training was being done to enable staff to identify fake goods, backed by the deployment of the best technologies in the control and inspection operations.
Mr. Al Tayer also stated: "Dubai Customs efforts in the area of protection of intellectual property rights is not limited to addressing the smuggling of counterfeit goods through Customs ports, but also includes parallel awareness-raising efforts for the public and concerned authorities to publicize the importance of safeguarding intellectual property rights and the risks resulting from the consumption of counterfeit materials on health, the economy and society.
Dubai Customs also works closely with other local, federal and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) government agencies as well as with trademark owners to enhance sensitivity about the issue within the region, said Mr. Al Tayer.
Over the course of last year, Dubai Customs organized 31 outreach events with 10,181 beneficiaries from all segments of society taking part. In addition to focused training workshops for Customs and law enforcement officers from the UAE and the GCC, this awareness-raising strategy has also included visiting schools and universities to educate students on intellectual property rights.
In this perspective, Dubai Customs has since 2007 launched the Intellectual Property Award for Schools and Universities, to inform and educate students about intellectual property rights. The 2014-2015 academic year saw 110 schools and 13 universities nationwide compete for the award.
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Photo: Last year Dubai Customs held 31 outreach events, with 10,181 people taking part to raise awareness on the danger of counterfeit goods.