UAE IP law enforcers to attend first BPG training workshop

Focused on the protection of intellectual property rights and how to intelligently distinguish between original and counterfeited products, the one day workshop will be attended by a large number of government officials, authorised to inspect the country's markets and ports of entry, and represent law enforcement authorities from all over the UAE such as the Departments of Economic Development, Customs, Police, Municipalities, Ministry of Economy, and Ministry of Health.

The Chairman of the BPG and the Regional Intellectual Property Advisor for Nestlé Middle East, Mr. Omar Shteiwi, said:

'The aim of this workshop is to significantly reduce this malicious activity, by enhancing professional awareness through hands on training of law enforcers who are directly involved in combating the activities of counterfeiters & illicit traders. The training will cover various brands in sectors such as food, personal care, tobacco, auto spare parts and other sectors where the BPG members are specialized.'

The BPG is a non-profit organization set up to fight illegal replication of genuine goods and other forms of illicit trade and strengthen the enforcement of intellectual property rights. BPG members include BAT, Black and Decker, Beiersdorf, BMW, Daimler, Estee Lauder, GM, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Kao Brands, Kraft, Master Foods, Nestle, Philip Morris, Philips, P&G, and Unilever.

The workshop will be conducted by specialised trainers assigned by the BPG members who are the right holders of the brands usually targeted by counterfeiters. The trainers will be revealing to the attendees the special features of the authentic brands and demonstrating physical samples of counterfeited and authentic products which will provide the trainees with a hands-on knowledge on the differences between both.

'This training workshop will be the first in a series that the BPG will conduct, starting with the U.A.E and to be followed by the GCC area. The BPG has full support and cooperation of the UAE government which is very keen on protecting intellectual property rights and supporting the real partnership between public and private sectors,' said Mr. Omar Shteiwi.