UAE set to launch campaign against fake goods

The UAE is set to launch a campaign against the supply of counterfeit and pirated goods next week.

The Ministry of Economy will start a national two-week campaign to uphold and protect intellectual property rights in an effort to give more protection to local consumers.

The initiative, to be held under the patronage of Minister of Economy Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, aims to raise public awareness of the impact of illegal products on the national economy, news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

The campaign, the first of its kind in the UAE, will be officially launched by the minister on Tuesday.

The UAE has joined the Convention of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the organization responsible for the support and protection of intellectual property rights throughout the world.

Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, director general of the Ministry of Economy said that the campaign was one of the major initiatives to prevent unfair trade practices and protect consumer rights in the country.

Earlier this month, six foreigners trading in the UAE were jailed after being convicted of engaging in parallel imports, the practice of goods without the permission of the intellectual property owner.

Dubai Courts handed down the sentence which is the first ever imprisonment related to the sale of "grey" products in the Middle East.

The ruling followed a raid by authorities against a major parallel importer in Dubai, which led to the confiscation of thousands of DVDs containing banned titles, Ministry chiefs added.

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