BPG bags international award in recognition of its arduous fight against counterfeits in the GCC region

The prestigious award was presented to Mr. Omar Shteiwi, Chairman of the BPG and Regional Intellectual Property Advisor for Nestlé Middle East, by Mr. John Anderson, Chairman of the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG) a network of national and regional anti-counterfeiting organisations, at a Gala Dinner that took place early October at the Museum of Science and Technology - Stockholm. The award was made as a continuing recognition of special achievements by organisations that campaign against the trade in 'counterfeits' and have made contributions 'above and beyond the call of duty'.

At his speech following the award, Mr. Shteiwi said:

"It is a great pleasure for me to represent the BPG and I thank the organizers and the Chairman of the GACG Mr. John Anderson for this recognition, this award would not have been possible without the full support of the Board of the BPG and all the members including Brand Owners and Service Providers. Also, as an NGO and non profit organization, we highly appreciate the support rendered to us by the UAE Government and the Law Enforcers in the UAE in particular and the GCC in general."

Mr. Shteiwi further added: "It gives me great pleasure and joy to receive such an award of international recognition on behalf of the Brand Owners Protection Group (BPG). This award is a true indicator of our hard work and proves that our tough stand against counterfeits and piracy has not been in vain; we are truly committed to eradicate this malicious activity not only in the GCC but also within our region."

At the Awards ceremony, the BPG has been highly commended for its work in the campaign against the trade in 'counterfeits' in the Gulf region, its economic impact study; legal study; exhibitions; and various MOUs signed with public bodies. Significantly, the BPG was a member of the steering group for the Fourth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy successfully held in Dubai in February 2008.

On a further note, the top award winner in the company category went to Mr. Jean-Pierre Maeder on behalf of Société des Produits Nestlé S. A. Besides being one of the founding members of the BPG, Nestlé have been at the core of the business campaign against counterfeiting leading the co-ordination of companies in business groups throughout the world and playing a leading role in international organisations and have been instrumental in establishing effective and successful relationships with enforcement agencies, signing MOUs with public bodies and have also contributed by actively participating in the training events conducted for law enforcement inspectors to assist them in differentiating between the genuine and counterfeited products.

According to many experts, counterfeit and pirated goods cost the global economy up to $8bn (Dhs29bn), and this constitutes a direct violation of local, regional and international laws as well as the rights of consumers. This illicit trade threatens the health and safety of consumers, discourages legitimate business development and investment and has a major negative impact on government revenue collection. Some organisations 'go the extra mile' and the GACG awards are recognition of this outstanding performance.

The BPG has made gigantic strides within the region and has partnered with various government bodies through signing of MOU's with the Sharjah customs as well as the UAE Ministry of Economy. Further more, the BPG enjoys the full support and cooperation from the UAE government and are actively involved in 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.

Since 2005 until date, the BPG has continued its relentless drive against illegal trade and the support for IPR protection through a series of public activities that have included various training workshops, conferences and awareness campaigns.