The UAE Ministry of Economy (MoE) and the Brand Owners Protection Group for the GCC and Yemen have signed on Sunday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) outlining their cooperation in the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and initiatives against commercial fraud and counterfeiting in the UAE. The MoU, part of a series of strategic MoE initiatives complementing the federal government strategy announced by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, was signed at the MoE's Abu Dhabi headquarters by H.E. Eng. Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Alshihhi, undersecretary of the MoE; and Omar Shteiwi, chairman of the group - GCC and Yemen. The signing ceremony was attended by key officials, the group members, and various concerned private sector representatives. Alshihhi lauded the UAE for being a model of IPR protection in the region, while pointing out that the signed agreement aims to promote stronger partnership between the ministry and the private sector as represented by the group. He added that the MoU will identify cooperative mechanisms and coordinate efforts to protect copyright owners in the UAE. The undersecretary emphasized the UAE commitment to upholding IPR through national legislation and international conventions and treaties, which would help enhance economic development through the promotion of investment and technology transfer. The UAE official referred to the signing of the MoU as a strategic collaborative initiative that would enhance IPR protection and effectively address piracy, counterfeiting, and illegal commercial trade. Alshihhi added that the memorandum aims to provide full legal and technical support to the ministry's agencies and partners, especially to inspectors belonging to the judicial police. He explained that as specialists in IPR enforcement and counterfeiting and commercial fraud prevention, inspectors should be provided enough assistance for them to effectively perform their duties and thus prevent activities detrimental to the safety and health of consumers and the general community. The undersecretary also called for initiating comprehensive legal advisory studies so that at administrative and legal groups could be provided with the necessary information and expertise to adopt best practices in the field of IPR. He noted that the MoU will promote a culture of IPR protection throughout UAE society through public visual, audio, and print campaigns; these would highlight the importance of IPR; its protection against abuse; and the negative effects of IPR crimes. “Fraud, counterfeiting, and piracy combine to form a dangerous phenomenon that supports illegal trade and has a negative impact on both the national economy and public safety,” he aqdded. He further said the MoE is eager to control copyright infringements, which he recognized as impediments to sustainable national development. He lamented that brand owners could be forced to reduce their research and development budgets to combat counterfeiting, thus depriving consumers of improved products. Alshihhi called on productive and constructive cooperation among all concerned parties throughout the UAE so that the threat of piracy could be contained. This would help maintain the international reputation of the UAE and serve its various economic and commercial interests. Shteiwi said: “We are very pleased to have received substantial support from the UAE government. This historic Memorandum shows their loyalty and unprecedented commitment.” The group chairman emphasized that the UAE has made great strides in IPR protection and the curbing of commercial fraud and counterfeiting. “We are eager to move forward in implementing the terms of this MoU, so that we can eradicate these malicious activities; we also look forward to exchanging experiences in IPR protection and forging better partnerships with public sectors in the GCC and throughout the world,” Shteiwi added. The MoU aims to strengthen ties between the MoE and brand owners, particularly in IPR protection efforts and the implementation of legislation and international conventions against commercial crimes that significantly affect UAE consumers, such as counterfeiting. The group is comprised of 20 members renowned for the production of high-quality products and the allocation of huge annual investments on research and development. Several the group members have adopted the UAE as regional headquarters to their businesses, which extend across GCC countries and the MENA region. The MoU seeks to form a strategic alliance between the MoE and brand owners that would consider both current and future the group members and ensure the successful enforcement of relevant international conventions and UAE laws and regulations. Under the terms of the memorandum, the group will provide legal and technical training to MoE specialists, inspectors, employees, and officials of departments and law enforcement agencies involved in IPR protection efforts that affect the businesses of the group members. The group service providers will also cooperate with the ministry in providing the necessary legal support for law enforcement officials, such as legal analysis and studies. The MoE and the group will rely on their strong partnership to educate the public on IPR throughout the UAE, specifically through various awareness campaigns as well as initiatives that will emphasize the importance of IPR when transacting with the ministry in areas such as business application, registration, and documentation. The two parties will also aggressively promote the enforcement of international conventions and federal laws on IPR and disseminate the negative consequences of their violation. The group has accelerated its campaign against illegal trade and its support for IPR in 2008 through a series of activities which include the signing of memorandums of understanding as well as the organizing of numerous training seminars, conferences and awareness campaigns throughout the UAE. __
