Dubai: Dubai Customs made 130 seizures related to infringement of intellectual property (IP) rights in the first half of this year, valued at Dh35.5 million, it announced on Tuesday.
The seizures included electronics, watches, glasses, car spare parts, textiles, utensils, bags and shoes.
Last April, Dubai Customs had signed an agreement with the Brand Owners’ Protection Group GCC & Yemen (BPG) to support efforts in this regard, and help promote bilateral cooperation and exchange of relevant information in order to counter piracy.
Seized counterfeit goods can be recycled to be used for other purposes following environmentally-friendly measures, as part of Dubai Customs’ green initiative. The measures help protect original products and belittle any chances of competition from counterfeit products, said Dubai Customs.
Yousuf Ozair Mubarak, director of IP Rights Department at Dubai Customs, said: “We support innovation and authenticity in the UAE following the wise directives of our leadership. For this, we enhance our partnerships with different stakeholders to consolidate efforts in protecting intellectual property rights. We work together with local and federal government departments and trademark owners in the private sector to prevent counterfeiting and piracy”.
He added: “Dubai Customs has equipped its customs centres with the latest inspection devices and developed the competencies and skills of its officers to effectively prevent any smuggling or counterfeiting attempts. The IPR Department organised 26 different activities and initiatives in the first half of 2018, which saw the involvement of 40,373 participants.”
Ozair Mubarak pointed out that the department registers intellectual assets that were developed and invented internally. A total of 27 applications to register intellectual assets have been submitted to the Ministry of Economy. These assets include the Virtual Corridor, Al Kashif Vehicle, Customs Clearance Vehicle, Smart Inspection Desk, Smart Submarine, Mobile Lab, and Smart Seizure System.
Mohammad Bin Nasser, manager of IP Dispute Section at Dubai Customs, said: “We regularly meet with the representatives of brand owners to coordinate our efforts in order to ensure highest levels of efficiency in preventing counterfeit goods from entering the UAE. We also coordinate with other relevant local, regional and international departments to help protect our society from the hazards of counterfeiting.”
