Sharjah Customs and BPG join hands for counterfeit community awareness drive "Hemaya"

The Hemaya is a project that endeavours to educate families residing in Sharjah about the dangers of using and supporting counterfeit merchandise.

The project is organised by Sharjah Customs in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Family Affairs in Sharjah.

By signing a Memorandum of Understanding on 21 January 2008, the two parties formed a partnership that promotes consumer consciousness and intensify the implementation of valid intellectual property (IP) laws in the emirate of Sharjah.

In the month of April, the BPG will conduct a series of lectures targeting various segments of the public and headed by representatives of BPG member companies.

The dialogue with Sharjah's consumers will tackle products such as food & beverages and medicines.

The training run will kick off with a couple of lectures addressing school students on April 22 and 23, and will end up with a gathering of ladies in the Ladies Club in Kalbaa on April 28. It coincides with the celebration of world IP day on April 26.

Commenting on the highly important announcement, Mr. Omar Shteiwi, Chairman of the Board at the BPG and Regional Intellectual Property Advisor for Nestlé Middle East, explained:

"This alliance of authorities and an advocacy group such as the BPG is very crucial if we are serious about eradicating the practices of counterfeiting and brand violations in Sharjah, the UAE, and the greater GCC region."

"Sharjah Customs, the Supreme Council of Family Affairs in Sharjah, and the BPG serve critical roles in dealing with the problem: the Department of Seaports and Customs acts as the first line of defences as it seizes suspected illegal items, the Council takes part in educating, guiding, and protecting families in the emirate, and the BPG enhances the authorities' level of defences through effective training." Mr. Shteiwi added.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, the BPG will provide all reasonable assistance and training to Sharjah Customs' inspectors concerning the BPG members' trademarks to identify any suspected counterfeit products. In addition, the BPG and Sharjah Customs will develop a practice of communication exchange that will facilitate the transfer of sensitive and confidential information vital to battling smuggling and counterfeiting activities. The agreement ultimately underscores the importance of cooperation and coordination between the two institutions.

As a result, the 'Hemaya' project will include a training programme, provided and supervised by the BPG that will target law enforcement officials from the Department of Seaports and Customs from all points of entry - sea, air, or land - in the emirate. The training will take place in the cities of Sharjah and Khorfakkan and provide the said officials with guidance on how to differentiate between original and counterfeit goods.

"We at the BPG highly appreciate the continuous efforts and support rendered by Sharjah Customs and the Supreme Council of Family Affairs in Sharjah. We are grateful for the assistance extended to us by His Excellency Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ports and Customs Authority, Her Excellency Sheikha Jamila Bint Mohamed Al-Qassimi, Vice President of the Supreme Council of Family Affairs in Sharjah, Dr. Rashid Al-Leem, Director General of the Department of Sea Ports and Customs in Sharjah, and all officials from the Department of Sea Ports and Customs in Sharjah," Mr. Shteiwi concluded.

The Brand Owners Protection Group, is 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.