Dubai: Authorities on Saturday launched the Intellectual Property Protection Advisory Board in a bid to crack down on counterfeiting and trademark violations.
“In high-purchasing markets as Dubai, complementary products are the most counterfeited products, such as electronics, fashion and automobile parts. In the last year, we noticed an increase in electronics, probably because of the high cost of smartphones,” said Mohammad Rashid Lootah, Executive Director of Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Sector at the Department of Economic Development (DED).
Lootah said that authorities will regard the Board as the voice of Intellectual Property (IP) owners, whose main role would be to develop researchers and enhance studies being carried out in the IP field.
“Intellectual property protection is integral to a healthy and competitive business environment. Dubai has taken great strides in recent years in creating local and global partnerships to identify and eliminate counterfeit goods … and the board is a critical addition that will help consolidate our efforts in IP protection,” he said.
While addressing reporters at a press conference, Lootah clarified that while the DED has beefed up its efforts in removing counterfeit products from the market, “the global challenge we all face is in e-commerce” as social media outlets are providing an alternative platform for people to advertise fake goods on their Instagram and Facebook accounts.
An official from DED will be the head of the Board, which will have members from each of the different industry sectors, such as automobiles, electronics, fashion and fragrances. The Board will meet every quarter and listen to the feedback and recommendations from the industry representatives on negative practices, if any, and devise strategies to combat them.
“The Board will be a valuable support in creating awareness in the market on the latest trends and techniques adopted by trademark violators. It will in effect be the voice of trademark owners in Dubai to raise their concerns before the appropriate authorities. At the same time, the Board will promote sharing of knowledge and best practices in IP protection,” said Lootah.
He pointed out that the Board will focus on investing in human resources by way of education and training to protect trademarks. Members of the Board will also participate in events and roundtables worldwide to share updates on fake products and ways to stop them from corrupting the market.
