Law enforcement officials in Abu Dhabi are to take part in an intensive, two-day training workshop on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) which is set to help them identify counterfeited products and distinguish them from authentic ones as well as raise IPR awareness.

The workshop, which kicks off tomorrow and ends on May 5, at the Le Meridien Hotel in Abu Dhabi, is organised by the UAE ministry of economy and trade – control department - in co-ordination with the Brand Owners Protection Group (BPG).

Omar Shteiwi, the chairman of the BPG and the Regional Intellectual Property advisor for Nestlé Middle East said the workshop would give local law enforcement officials more awareness on all forms of violation against Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).

"The Abu Dhabi sessions will have a special thrust on counterfeit trade and will offer various solutions to identify and curb such illegal activities that pose a grave threat to the economy and society," he explained.

The delegates for the training workshop in Abu Dhabi are selected from the ministry of economy, the department of planning and economy, Abu Dhabi customs and Abu Dhabi municipality.

"This is the third in a series of awareness and training workshops. The most recent one was held on April 7 and 14 in Sharjah," he noted.

“The ongoing training workshops throughout the UAE aim to significantly minimise the problem of violation of the IPRs of the legitimate brand owners as they create awareness for the various law enforcers, who are hands-on in exposing counterfeits and illegal traders."

The training sessions will act as a great catalyst for the enforcers to easily identify the genuine from the fake,” Shteiwi added.

Participating at the workshop are BPG members Beiersdorf, BMW, Black & Decker, Kao Brands Company, Nestlé, Nokia, Philip Morris, and Sanofi-Aventis.

Shteiwi lauded the efforts of the ministry of economy in organizing, and their active coordination in the selection of the officials from the different law enforcement agencies for the workshop.

"This marks the successful cooperation between the private and public sectors where the MoE has shown exemplary commitment and determination to eradicate illegal and counterfeit activities and to protect IPR," he pointed out.

"This also illustrates the high importance which the Ministry and other law enforcement agencies have put on training their officials who play a critical role in combating counterfeiting activities in all forms," Shteiwi added.-TradeArabia News Service