In accordance with the joint memorandum of understanding and cooperation signed in 2011, Dubai Customs enhanced its outreach activities by organizing intellectual property rights protection awareness workshops in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Customs Administration. Organized in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain under the title “Dubai Customs Intellectual Property Achievements,” and with the participation of 80 trainees from customs centers in both cities, the workshops come as part of the joint efforts exerted to counter piracy and counterfeiting.
During the workshops, the Manager of Awareness and Education at the IPR Department, Mahbooba Baqer, and Awareness and Education Officer, Aisha Hareb, presented plans and programs implemented by the Department to control intellectual property infringements, in line with the Dubai Customs vital role as the first line of defense for the community’s security, health, and economy. Moreover, in order to complement the Department’s efforts aimed at educating society on the hazards inflicted upon the national economy and name brands by fraud and counterfeiting, in addition to the potential risks to consumer health and safety presented by counterfeit products. To that end, regular workshops are organized in partnership with brand owners, in addition to an annual competition involving UAE schools and universities to serve the purpose of protecting intellectual property rights.
The workshops’ agenda included an introduction to intellectual property; its historical background and types. It also included an introduction to trademarks and the different types of trademarks, a presentation of the reasons behind the spread of the counterfeiting phenomenon, along with a detailed explanation of the difference between counterfeiting and forging, hazards posed by counterfeit products to the individual, community, and the overall state of the economy. Moreover, the workshops also featured a live demonstration explaining how to tell if the product at hand is genuine or counterfeit, followed by a description about the Dubai Customs IPR Department and its procedures relating to counterfeiting cases.
Further and, during 2013, the IPR Department’s Awareness and Education Section has organized 32 IPR awareness lectures delivered through workshops and during field visits to schools and universities, and at joint seminars with various government departments. Moreover, introductory lectures were also organized at customs centers and administrations and in the form of specialized training courses.
The IPR awareness and education courses contribute to community engagement in the efforts to counter infringements to such rights, as the continuous seizures of counterfeit goods reflect significant progress in the course of combating such phenomenon and protection against its adverse economic and health impacts.