Brand Owners Protection Group holds training workshop in Oman
Under the patronage of EH Sultan Bin Salim Al Habsi, Undersecretary, Omani Ministry Of Finance, The Brand Owners Protection Group (BPG), one of the largest non-profit organisations in the Gulf committed to combating counterfeit trade, in association with the Oman Association for Consumer Protection, is set to stage a training workshop to enhance the skills of customs inspection officials in detecting illegal merchandise and distinguishing the counterfeited products from authentic branded products.
Organised under the patronage of the Omani Ministry of Finance, with the support of the Arab Union Consumer Protection Alliance, the workshop is scheduled on October 3 and 4, 2010 at Holiday Inn Muscat and is part of the BPG’s continuing efforts to uphold the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights in the GCC region. Key speakers from the intellectual property departments of world-renowned brands, including Ford Motor Company, Nestlé, Nokia, Procter & Gamble, – Beiersdorf, BMW, Daimler will give lectures to the attendees regarding the many facets of counterfeit trade, such its impacts on society and regional economies as well as legal ways it can be prevented.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Omar Shteiwi, Chairman of the Board at the BPG and Regional Intellectual Property Advisor for Nestlé Middle East, said, “We are very honoured to start a new partnership with the Omani law enforcement officials and the Oman Consumer Protection Association in furthering our cause of combating the proliferation of counterfeit products and upholding the intellectual property rights of brand owners. We are also please to have the support of the Arab Union Consumer Protection Alliance, Syrian Consumer Protection Association, who will help us make a closer analysis of the problem of IP violations and trademark infringements within the region.”
“Counterfeit traders pose health hazards and endanger the lives of members of society as they extend their ventures into pharmaceuticals and fast moving consumer goods, and this is one aspect that we want to focus on as we build new relationships with authorities and consumer protection organisations in the GCC and the greater Middle East region,” Mr. Shteiwi added.
As part of an unabated anti-counterfeting campaign by the BPG and its partners, the training workshops are a step towards the full confiscation and destruction of counterfeit products and transfer of the criminals to the courts and implementation of severe penalties on perpetrators of commercial fraud. The sessions are expected to impart a wealth of knowledge and practical know-how to the inspectors and customs officials.
Sheikh Saeed bin Nasser Al Khusaibi Head of Oman Consumer Protection Association will deliver an opening speech as well as Dr. Mohammad Obaidat – Head of the Arab Union for the consumer and Mr. Omar Shteiwi; highlighting the high importance of cooperation and joint efforts and partnership with the law Enforcement Authorities to combat counterfeits and protect the consumers. The event’s agenda also includes lectures by the Legal Department of the Royal Oman Police, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Health, General Directorate for Standards and Metrology – Department of Trade and Industry, and other speakers on the serious implications arising from the activities of commercial fraud and its impact on regional economies, and a discussion on developing consumer culture to participate in the exercise of his rights to report cases of imitation goods.
The training session is part of a series of workshops organised by the BPG in cooperation with various government bodies in the GCC. In 2009, the organisation held training sessions all across the United Arab Emirates and later in the past year entered Kuwait for the BPG’s inaugural workshop in the country. Earlier in 2010, the BPG worked with the various Ministries of Economy in the UAE – Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Fujairah, Ajman, Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah and Umm al Quwain – to cover the entirety of the Emirates. The group’s lectures encourage the involvement of both the government and the consumers in supporting the battle against illegal replicas of brand-name products.
BPG has actively promoted awareness on the detrimental effects of the counterfeit industry on the regional economies 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, the 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).
