Ensuring a safety net for intellectual property

Sharjah: Raising awareness among all segments of society about the need to protect intellectual property is the driving theme of a two-year agreement signed last week between Emirates Publishers Association and the Emirates Intellectual Property Association (EIPA).

The campaign seeks to foster technical, legal, and management expertise that can bring about such a tranformation in society.

Shaikha Budoor Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, chairperson of the Emirates Publishers Association, and Major General Dr Abdul Qudoos Abdul Razzaq Al Obaid Ali, chairman of the Emirates Intellectual Property Association, signed the memorandum.

Shaikha Budoor said: "Protecting the intellectual property of a country is protecting its cultural future, and scientific and technological progress. Intellectual property protection is a sign of development that the entire world seeks to adopt. It is required from all of us to help enforce these laws from our side."

Al Obaid Ali sought to highlight amendments to intellectual property law. "It is no longer restricted to protecting copyright and trademarks, but has been expanded to include patents and setting legislation to fight piracy and cyber crime."

He added that continuous efforts were being made to cover all areas of intellectual property rights to encourage innovators and to attract investments in their projects.