BPG gears up for an extensive UAE-wide IPR campaign during 2009

Beginning this month, BPG, in partnership with various government bodies, will rollout a series of training workshops that encompass important locations in the UAE.

Set to stage a series of monthly workshops that will equip the UAE's law enforcement officials from various authorities with the essential skills to detect and control items that violate Intellectual Property rights from February to June, BPG will gather law enforcement officials in Sharjah to its first seminar for 2009 on February 26 in cooperation with the Sharjah Customs.

On March 4, the group, in cooperation with Diba Al-Hesn Municipality, will convene law enforcement authorities in the Northern zone of the country, catering to areas such as Al-Fujairah, Diba and Kalbaa. Meanwhile, BPG will collaborate with Dubai Customs to train its officials including other officials from other states within the GCC region through as series of seminars starting from April 26.

Continuing the second quarter of 2009, BPG and the UAE Ministry of Economy will jointly present a workshop on May 12 for the benefit of law enforcement units in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the Western zone of the UAE. June 25 is booked for another seminar at the Sharjah Custom's division in Khorfakkan, and BPG will finish its circuit with its last stop at Dubai Customs in November.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Omar Shteiwi, who was recently re-elected as Chairman of the Board at BPG and Regional Intellectual Property Advisor for Nestlé Middle East, said, "The series of workshops will instill in local law enforcement officials more awareness on all forms of violation against Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). This campaign effectively demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the protection of IPRs and defending our local and regional economy from the threats of counterfeit merchandise."

Focused on the protection of intellectual property rights and how to intelligently distinguish between original and counterfeited products, workshops organised by BPG 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.

Following a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed with key government units across the UAE; BPG is mandated to provide training and technical support to officials to facilitate the protection of the Intellectual Property rights of these BPG members. As a result of the MoU, a cooperation mechanism has been initiated to eliminate counterfeit products which seriously challenge the local economy. Such products have become a serious threat following a liberalised trade regime and exposure to other international markets which do not have a proper system to protect intellectual property rights.

BPG, a non-profit organisation established to fight illegal replication of genuine goods and other forms of illicit trade and strengthen the enforcement of intellectual property rights, boasts of a membership roster which includes Beiersdorf Middle East, BMW Group Middle East, British American Tobacco, Daimler Middle East, Estee Lauder Middle East, Ford Motor Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Hewlett Packard, Kao Brands Company, Kraft Foods, Mars, Nestle Middle East, Nike, Nokia, Philip Morris, Philips, P&G, Sanofi-Aventis and Unilever. The Group is chaired by Mr. Omar Shteiwi, Regional Intellectual Property Advisor at Nestlé Middle East.