Dubai Customs Logo
Press release
Dubai Customs celebrates World IP Day
Ahmed Butti: Dubai enjoys reliance of major worldwide manufacturers and brand owners
Dubai – Director General of Dubai Customs His His Excellency Ahmed Butti Ahmed, opened the annual World Intellectual Property Day ceremony yesterday 26th April 2009.
Organized by Dubai Customs at Monarch Hotel Dubai the event was attended by a number of Heads of government departments, customs administrations in UAE and GCC States, Federal Customs Authority, diplomatic missions representatives, senior personalities, customs officials and inspectors, Brand Owners Protection Group representatives and media correspondents.
“Dubai customs believes in the rights of producers, creators and intellectuals whether in respect to industrial, commercial or literary areas’, said Mr. Butti while opening the event.
“Dubai Customs has long taken the issue of IPR seriously. Stringent measures for encountering counterfeited and fake products including other items that are detrimental to public health, local community and UAE society or undermining producers and brand owners rights had been taken,” he added.
“The aim of such measures is to maintain the legitimacy of international trade as well since Dubai is deemed to be a core hub linking both Eastern and Western parts of the world and serving a market populating of over a billion people by re-exportation to different countries”, Mr. Butti added.
A number of achievements done by Dubai Customs over the past years in the area of IPR are commended and much-admired by the international community and major manufacturers worldwide.
A dedicated IPR department to support the existing measures was established 4 years ago playing a major role in protecting the emirate’s 14 customs offices located at sea, air and land ports.
“The IPR department made great efforts in the area of education and awareness about IPR emphasizing the risks and harms to public health as a result of counterfeited products. The efforts covered workshops for wider groups of the society, such as schools and universities across the country and complex areas like trade malls and clubs,” the Director General of Dubai Customs said.
“Continuous workshops throughout the year are being organized as well for customs inspectors to develop their knowledge, understanding and job skills in connection with distinguishing between unique and counterfeited products and precisely differentiating between genuine and fake trade brands,” he maintained.
Mr. Butti added that, “counterfeiting is an international phenomenon extended to cover man’s consumables including even human blood. Such matters annoy us all but we assure you that Dubai Customs would continue to make tireless efforts in combating such phenomenon.”
“We are keen to develop, use and invest in best scanning and inspection equipment with improving our employees’ skills since we are concerned with maintaining the international community’s reliance on our ongoing measures and strengthening our country’s position as a secured destination attracting foreign investments,”
During the celebration, the winning projects taking part in “Dubai Customs IPR Award” contest were announced.
The contest was organized by Dubai Customs in cooperation with the Ministry of Education as part of a comprehensive IPR awareness campaign by customs targeting all society groups including students.
The representatives of the 3 winning schools and the students, owners of the winning projects, were honored by the Director General of Dubai Customs.
The contest gains a special importance being a means of education enhancing the students’ appreciation for innovative thinking, developing their awareness about customs business from the economic and social perspectives and expanding their understandings in connection with risks of counterfeited products to public health.
Dubai Customs World IPR Day celebrations would include holding a 4 days educational workshops for customs inspectors at the Monarch Hotel Dubai.
The workshop, which is expected to gather representatives from the Brand Owners Protection Group, comes as part of Dubai Customs’ role in protecting intellectual property rights, combating counterfeiting and forgery, identifying problems facing inspectors and other competent parties in detecting fake products and disseminating awareness about negatives impacts arising from trading in counterfeited goods on both the local and international economies.
-End-
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
