DUBAI: The Brand Owners Protection Group (BPG), the largest non-profit organisation in the Gulf committed to combating counterfeit trade, staged a training session to enhance the skills of RAK Customs inspection officials in detecting illegal merchandise and distinguishing them from authentic branded products. The training session was conducted on June 16th 2015 at RAK Customs headquarters as part of the BPG’s continuing efforts to uphold the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights in the UAE.
Organised with the assistance of RAK Customs, the training session was attended by law enforcement officials from the Commercial Inspection Department in Ras Al Khaimah. During the training, informative lectures were given by leading intellectual property rights experts from various multinational companies including Beiersdorf Middle East, LV, Nestlé Middle East, British American Tobacco and Unilever.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Elie Atallah, BPG Chairman and the Anti Illicit Trade &Excise Manager – Middle East at British American Tobacco (BAT) , said, “We are very honoured to have the continuous support of RAK Customs to our investments in the UAE as in this training session we take another step in combating illicit trade and safeguarding the rights of our members as legitimate brand owners and investors. The success of this training session is another achievement for the Economy, consumers as well as to our organisation in advancing the technical knowledge of law enforcement officials on properly detecting counterfeit goods and promptly report any detentions to the brand owners in order to take the proper legal action in a proactive approach.”
The training session is part of an agreement between the BPG and RAK Customs to organise quarterly trainings throughout the year with the first session conducted on March 31st 2015. BPG was also invited to attend the 2015 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Day Celebrations organised at RAK Customs’ headquarters on April 26th, where BPG’s member companies; Beiersdorf, Nike and Procter & Gamble conducted training sessions. The group’s lectures encourage the involvement of both the government and the consumers in supporting the fight against illegal replicas of brand-name products.
BPG has actively promoted awareness on the detrimental effects of the counterfeit industry on the regional economy with similar 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 intercontinental footprint by forming strategic alliances with giant intellectual property organisations such as the Kuwaiti Customs, China’s Quality Brands Protection Committee (QBPC) and Japan’s International Intellectual Property Protection Forum (IIPPFF).
