DUBAI: Dubai has intensified its campaign against intellectual property right (IPR) infringements during the first quarter of this year. According to Dubai Customs’ figures released today, 135 seizures of IPR infringing goods worth Dh16.8 million were made last year while in the first quarter of this year, 54 seizures were made at a value of Dh34.5 million.
Abdullah Al Khaja, Executive Director of Customer Management Division at Dubai Customs, said: “You can only imagine the health and economic impacts if these goods went into our markets… The protection of intellectual property rights is gaining a lot of momentum in the UAE, to keep pace with the progress in creative industries.”
Speaking on the occasion of World IP Day 2016, Khaja said: “A report estimated that the growing impact of digital piracy could add up to £215 billion in lost revenue globally, while in the Mena region, losses in revenue due to digital piracy amount to over £750 million every year.”
