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Dubai- United Arab Emirates: As a sign of the cooperative relationship between the private and public sectors, the Emirates Intellectual Property Association (EIPA) has today February 18th, 2016, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Brand Owners' Protection Group for the GCC & Yemen (BPG), to streamline joint efforts to protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and to strengthen the fight against illicit trade and counterfeit products in the UAE.
The MoU was signed by his Excellency Major General Dr. Quddus Abdul Razak Obaidli, President of the Emirates Intellectual Property Association, and Mr Elie Atallah, Chairman of the Brand Owners' Protection Group, at a signing ceremony held at the Dubai Police Club Headquarters in Al Garhood, and was attended by leading dignitaries of EIPA and representatives of the BPG's Brand Owners and law firms.
Dr. Quddus Abdul Razak Obaidli said: "EIPA's vision is to see the UAE emerge as one of the world's top countries in the area of intellectual property rights protection by 2021, and raise public awareness of the importance of IPR protection within the local community, therefore, we see this memorandum of understanding as a platform to; achieve EIPA's IPR strategic objective, improve the UAE's IPR protection global ranking, promote local and international partnerships and strengthen cooperation with scientific research houses concerned with IPR protection."
Commenting on the importance of cooperation between the private and public sectors, Mr Elie Atallah said: "We are extremely delighted with such a great partnership with EIPA. This MoU is a landmark agreement and shows continuous dedication and commitment from both parties. The UAE has made major strides towards protecting IPR and combating counterfeit trade, and we are keen to continue this momentum until we can eliminate this malicious activity."
Mr Elie Atallah added "Counterfeiting is increasingly posing great threat to consumers and negatively impacting government revenues, public health and legitimate businesses. Global numbers indicate that the total value of this cross-border activity, is set between 8% to 15% of global GDP. Despite intense efforts of international organizations, governments and legitimate businesses to control such an illegal trade, the phenomenon continues to represent a latent threat to the global economy, causing brand owners and manufacturers the loss of millions of dollars in revenues every year, and most importantly, it poses great danger to the health and safety of consumers."
The MoU aims to achieve solid cooperation between both parties in the areas of; advancing the development of IPR services, exchange of expertise and best practises and coordinate strategic actions against infringements in order to protect consumers in the United Arab Emirates
Under the MoU, both EIPA and BPG will work jointly to develop programmes and campaigns aimed at achieving their common objectives, promote awareness of intellectual property rights in the United Arab Emirates, exchange of information related to Intellectual Property Rights' strategic studies, strategic media collaboration and conducting awareness campaigns to highlight the economic, social and legal impacts resulting from counterfeit and illicit trade activities. Both parties will form a joint committee to follow up on the implementation of the MoU terms and to establish appropriate ways of communications.
The MoU envisages a strategic alliance, by setting forth a framework of cooperation, between EIPA and BPG, by adhering to the relevant applicable laws and regulations in the UAE. Through this MoU the BPG will cooperate with EIPA to provide technical and legal training and offer required technical assistance in detecting illegal merchandise and distinguishing them from authentic branded products to relevant officials.
BPG has actively promoted awareness on the detrimental effects of the counterfeit industry on the local and regional economy through a series of technical workshops and training sessions. Additionally, the non-profit organisation has made strides in bridging the gap between the private and public sectors and paving the way for efficient implementation of IP laws. Through its dedication to broadening the group's anti-counterfeiting initiatives, BPG has extended its footprint by forming strategic alliances with various government authorities in the GCC and with giant International intellectual property organisations such the China's Quality Brands Protection Committee (QBPC) and Japan's International Intellectual Property Protection Forum (IIPPFF).
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For further media enquiries contact:
Yasser Fathy / Ahmed Malik
Arabia PR
Tel: +9714 3423583; Fax: +9714 3423582
yasserf@arabiapr.com / ahmedt@arabiapr.com
Office 203, Le Solarium Building, Dubai Silicon Oasis
For further information about the Brand Owners Protection Group, kindly visit: www.gulfbpg.com
© Press Release 2016
