Millions of counterfeit items worth more than Dh5.43 million were seized in Dubai in the first quarter of the year, customs authorities said on Tuesday.
A total of 4.36 million pieces were confiscated in 13 instances as Dubai Customs ramped up its crackdown on violations of intellectual property rights. The authority also handled about 62 cases of intellectual property disputes during the same period.
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These figures were revealed as Dubai Customs marked this year’s World Intellectual Property Day in an event that saw the participation of key figures and representatives from the local government entity.
Yousef Ozair Mubarak, director of the Customs’ IPR Department, highlighted their commitment to thwarting attempts to smuggle counterfeit goods into the UAE.
The department has worked with trademark owners and organised workshops to combat new counterfeiting methods. Community awareness events, including those held in schools, were also held.
Besides looking out for violators, Dubai Customs has also been recognising efforts to protect intellectual property rights.
Some 125 trademarks and 49 commercial agencies were registered in the first quarter of 2024.
Two intellectual assets by Dubai Customs employees were recorded. In 2023, 407 trademarks and 231 commercial agencies were registered, alongside eight intellectual assets at the Ministry of Economy for employee innovations.
The authority also launched the Intellectual Property Award for Schools and Universities 2023-2024, recognising outstanding achievements.
During the event, Dubai Customs honoured the schools and universities that won the Intellectual Property Award for Schools and Universities for 2023-2024.
Special recognition was also given to Dr Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, assistant undersecretary for Intellectual Property Rights Sector at the Ministry of Economy, and Eman Ali Al Salman, head of Intellectual Property Section (IP Department Sharjah Customs), along with Jumana Hamza Al Bannai from Dubai Customs, and Dr Hamida Abdel Ati Ali.