“ Practical Tips For IP Rights Enforcement in the UAE ” Presented By: Faisal Daudpota Seniro Associate IP/IT Dept 22 December 2010
Overview Enforcement Options Generally Trademarks Rights Enforcement Copyrights Enforcement Patents and Designs Rights Enforcement Domain names Rights Enforcement Trade secrets Rights Enforcement
Enforcement Options Generally Legal Notice Administrative Action Criminal Action Civil Action Customs Enforcement
Trademark Rights Enforcement Administrative Action Depart of Economic Development / Municipality Copy of Registration Certificate + Fee Results in Confiscation / Destruction of Infringing Goods / Closure of the shop in the case of repeat offence
Trademark Rights Enforcement Criminal Action Police Copy of Registration Certificate + Analysis at Criminal Lab Results in Confiscation / Destruction of Infringing Goods / Penalty / Jail time
Trademark Rights Enforcement Civil Action More formalities When You want Damages Documentary evidence required Usually companies fight out when they have competing commercial interest
Trademark Rights Enforcement Customs Action Separate Customs Authorities Recording Trademarks with Customs Application to Suspend Clearance Registration Certificate + Fee Results in Confiscation / Destruction of Infringing Goods
Trademark Rights Enforcement Customs Action Free Trade Zones & Transshipment of Counterfeit Goods The free trade exemptions are sometimes abused by the counterfeiters and pirates to: alter the true origin of goods in transit as well as store, manufacture, distribute, and sell counterfeit goods
Trademark Rights Enforcement Customs Action Types of Counterfeiting Operations through FTZs Re-export and distribution after ‘sanitizing’ documents Re-packaging or labeling of unfinished goods and then exporting them as finished goods Complete manufacturing of counterfeit goods
Trademark Rights Enforcement Customs Action / With More then 630 FTZs
Trademark Rights Enforcement Customs Action / Disrupting the Routing Routing Opportunities for Counterfeiters are Unlimited All we can do now is to Disrupt We Cannot Eliminate the problem
Copyrights Enforcement Administrative Action / Criminal Action Not possible in all cases Because you do not have a registration certificate all the time to prove your right Easy in software copyright cases Next to impossoble in online copyright infringement
Copyrights Enforcement Civil Action Preferable Result in damages and permanent restraining orders Interim Remedies not common
Copyrights Enforcement Customs Action No Recordation Procedure In very limited circumstances For example game software but coupled with trademark rights infringement
Patent & Design Rights Enforcement Civil Actions advisable (though the law stipulates punishments also) Limitation of technical issues – dependence on Expert Translation Issues Results in Damages / permanent restraint of infringer
Domain Names Rigths Enforcement UDRP Complaint at WIPO (.ae) domain or (.com) domain Registration Certificate (there are exceptions) + Fee Alternate Dispute Resolution / ADR You Can Still Go to a Civil Court
Trade Secrets Rigths Enforcement Civil Actions advisable (though the law stipulates punishments also) The Know-how provision in the Patent Law Limitation of technical issues – dependence on Expert Translation Issues Results in Damages / permanent restraint of infringer Not tested so far
Thank You Any Questions