Dubai: Dubai Customs recycled 48,000 fake items worth Dh14.5 million in the first nine month of 2019, according to a press release issued by the department on Tuesday.
During this time, they also dealt with 243 intellectual (IP) property disputes valued at Dh39.2 million. Of them, 196 turned out to be genuine products worth Dh24.7 million.
Trademark owners are informed once fake items holding the name of their brands are seized so that they could attend the recycling.
Yousef Ozair Mubarak, Director of IPR Department said they registered 501 trademarks and 109 trade agencies between January and August this year.
“The IPR Department is an independent unit at Dubai Customs that works to ensure no violations take place in the intellectual property field in line with the international agreements and treaties including the WTO’s intellectual property (TRIPS) agreement. So far, we have registered 3,910 trademarks and 692 trade agencies and keep feeding our database with the latest data,” he said.
Dubai Customs has helped brand owners recycle millions of counterfeit items to reduce their harmful impact on the environment.
“Intellectual property rights-holders are most likely to feel the pinch of this rogue industry but everyone is liable to be affected by counterfeiting and piracy. We work together with brand owners to protect their rights and help them access local and international market without this unfair competition from the fake products. To this end, we raise awareness and organize different workshops and trainings to update our inspectors with the latest techniques used in counterfeiting products “ said Yousef Ozair Mubarak.
Dubai Customs dealt with 272 intellectual property disputes in 2018, with a market value of Dh52 million.
