Dubai Customs has awarded 30 of its strategic partners, who are major trademark owners, advocates and legal consultants in the UAE, representing 5,000 registered well-known global brands.
The awarding ceremony took place at Al Furdah Hall in DC’s Training Center and was attended by Mr Yousef Ozair, Director of IPR Department at Dubai Customs, Mrs Mahbooba Baqer, Manager of Awareness Section at Dubai Customs and strategic partners’ representatives.
Following the ceremony, a brainstorming session was held to generate ideas and suggestions that can boost cooperation between DC (IPR Department) and advocates and legal consultants. IPR-related topics were put forth at the session to improve the measures taken to safeguard trademarks in Dubai, which results in attracting more trademarks to UAE markets. Safeguarding trademarks is vital to the local economy, as these trademarks reflect multi-billion dirhams investments made by international companies in the local markets. It also shows the UAE’s compliance with signed international agreements in this area, particularly the ones pertaining to IPR protection.
Mr Ozair said: “This role we play together contributes significantly to reinforcing the pillars of national economy. We need to join forces, as this can never be done individually. We might agree or disagree on ways of protection, but the noble goal is that we remain as one. I must note that IPR protection is not aimed at protecting the rights of producers and trademark owners only, consumers are the primary victims for counterfeiting and piracy. Their physical health will be affected if the goods are unfit for human consumption. They will also feel injustice for paying money for a product that can harm them.”
He added:” We at Dubai Customs value the efforts exerted by our partners to combat trade fraud of all forms. We believe that the alliance with strategic partners representing the major trademark owners, companies and law firms enables us to confront the dangers of counterfeiting, piracy and trademark infringement. We hope to work with them in a coordinated manner to protect intellectual property rights at the local level; primarily to protect both community and consumers, bridge all legal and procedural gaps under which counterfeit goods may be entered into the UAE. Therefore, we always have to be supportive and collaborative in order to strengthen our standing and work together on an integral basis.”
“We seek to create new strategic alliances with the private sector represented in many of the companies owning trademarks, as well as our alliance with governmental departments, ministries and local authorities, so that we can stand together against intellectual, literary and industrial property rights infringements, and ensure consumer and investors interests protection,” he added.
“We would like to emphasize that private sector is also a key partner in respect of the international trade security issues, and a major pole with regard to borders protection, because the cooperation between the public and private sectors is inevitable. Moreover, no positive results can be achieved at both international and local levels without such cooperation with you,” Mr Ozair underlined.