Law enforcers in Abu Dhabi to undergo IPR training workshop

The workshop, which kicks off tomorrow (Sunday, May 4, 2008) and ends on May 5th, at the Le Meridien Hotel in Abu Dhabi, is organised by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Trade - Control Department - in coordination with the Brand Owners Protection Group (BPG).

Mr. Omar Shteiwi, the Chairman of the BPG and the Regional Intellectual Property Advisor for Nestlé Middle East said: "The workshop will give local law enforcement officials more awareness on all forms of violation against Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). The Abu Dhabi sessions will have a special thrust on counterfeit trade and will offer various solutions to identify and curb such illegal activities that pose a grave threat to the economy and society."

The delegates for the training workshop in Abu Dhabi are selected from the Ministry of Economy, the Department of Planning and Economy, Abu Dhabi Customs and Abu Dhabi Municipality,

This workshop is the third in a series of continued awareness and training workshops, the most recent one being the training workshop held on April 7th and 14th 2008 in Sharjah. It is worthy of note that other delegates had greatly benefited from an earlier workshop held in January 2008 with IPR as the central theme.

"The ongoing training workshops throughout the UAE aim to significantly minimize the problem of violation of the Intellectual Property Rights of the legitimate brand owners as they create awareness for the various law enforcers, who are hands-on in exposing counterfeits and illegal traders. The training sessions will act as a great catalyst for the enforcers to easily identify the genuine from the fake," Mr. Shteiwi added.

Participating at the workshop are BPG members Beiersdorf, BMW, Black & Decker, Kao Brands Company, Nestlé, Nokia, Philip Morris, and Sanofi-Aventis.

Mr. Shteiwi said: "The BPG greatly appreciates the efforts of the Ministry of Economy in organizing, and their active coordination in the selection of the officials from the different law enforcement agencies who are attending this workshop. This marks the successful cooperation between the private and public sectors where the MOE has shown exemplary commitment and determination to eradicate illegal and counterfeit activities and to protect Intellectual Property Rights. This also illustrates the high importance which the Ministry and other law enforcement agencies have put on training their officials who play a critical role in combating counterfeiting activities in all forms."

During 2008 the BPG has accelerated its drive against illegal trade and the support for IPR protection through a series of activities that have included various training workshops, conferences, and awareness campaigns. The BPG has total support and cooperation from the UAE government, which is demonstrating a relentless drive to root out counterfeit products and all forms of illegal trade in addition to becoming a beacon of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the region.