Dubai sees 34% rise in trademark files registered for protection

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Dubai sees 34% rise in trademark files registered for protection

Dubai - The rise indicates brand owners recognising the importance of the retail sector.

by

Issac John

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Published: Fri 7 Feb 2020, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Sat 8 Feb 2020, 6:58 PM

The number of trademark files registered for protection in Dubai posted a 34 per cent increase in 2019 compared to the previous year, reflecting the remarkable progress achieved by the Dubai Economy in protecting intellectual property and enhancing business competitiveness in the emirate.
In 2019, commercial agency files also registered a 127 per cent as trademark owners and commercial agencies worldwide continued to respond enthusiastically to the intellectual property protection drive, Dubai Economy said on Sunday. Trademark files registered at the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection in 2019 reached 5,157 and 50 commercial agency files were also registered during the same period, while in 2018 the figures were 3,844 and 22 respectively.
While US brands led in terms of trademark files registered in 2019 - 1,585 files, or 31 per cent of the total, the UAE stood next with 818 files (16 per cent) while German brands went up by seven per cent to 373 files. France, Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, British Virgin Islands, India, China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Canada were also among the top 15 source countries for files registered in 2019.
The rising number of trademarks and agencies registered shows the importance of Dubai Economy, not only in attracting the best and highest-quality brands from around the world but also in providing multi-channel intellectual property protection, said Mohammed Ali Rashed Lootah, CEO of CCCP.
"The 34 per cent increase in trademark files also indicates brand owners recognising the importance of the retail sector and purchasing power in Dubai as well as the healthy competition among them and their confidence in Dubai Economy in protecting their rights," said Lootah.
The Intellectual Property Protection Department in Dubai Economy received 298 complaints relating to trademark infringement in 2019, which was a marginal increase of one per cent in comparison to 2018. Meanwhile, infringement cases from commercial agencies showed a decline of 17 per cent, from 42 to 35, between 2018 and 2019.
According to Dubai Economy, US trademarks were involved in 58 of the trademark infringement complaints in 2019 while Emirati and French brands were involved in 43 cases. Brands from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the UK, Japan, and Spain were also involved and the remaining complaints were related to 24 different countries.
Perfumes were the leading category of goods involved in the complaints with 35 cases. Cosmetics with 32 cases, personal care products with 30, and jewellery, clothes, phones, and accessories with 28 cases each, bags and leather products with 14, motor & machinery with 11, eye glasses with 10 came next in that order. Other issues were associated with energy drinks, education services, lamps and electrical appliances, cleaning tools and powders, oils and greases, building materials, pharmaceuticals, cans and casings, tobacco and smoking accessories, inks, and electronic devices.
"Our effort is to contribute to firmly positioning Dubai as a sustainable city and a gateway for competitive business locally, and globally. We also seek to provide an attractive environment for local and foreign investments and enhance confidence among businesses as well as consumers," said Lootah.
- issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com


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