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Dubai Customs seize over Dh42 million-worth fake goods in first 3 months of 2025
In order to counter the distribution of counterfeit goods, the authority has been conducting awareness workshop and working with law firms to train inspectors
- PUBLISHED: Tue 29 Apr 2025, 4:11 PM
In a crackdown on counterfeit goods in the city, Dubai Customs carried out 68 seizures in the first three months of 2025 which were valued at about Dh42.195 million.
During the year before that, the authority reported 285 intellectual property seizures, valued at approximately Dh92.695 million. Additionally, 159 trademarks were registered along with 63 commercial agencies and one intellectual property asset.
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These seizures included counterfeit goods such as watches, eyewear, electronics, clothing, fabrics, bags, and shoes. During the same period, 439 trademarks, 205 commercial agencies, and six intellectual property assets were registered.
In order to counter the distribution of counterfeit goods, the authority has been conducting awareness workshops and working with law firms to train 31 inspectors to strengthen their intellectual property protection skills.
Intellectual property protection ensure that individuals and businesses can benefit from their ideas and creations while safeguarding society, the environment, and the economy from the dangers of counterfeit goods.
Ongoing efforts to tackle counterfeit good and prevent their entry into local markets is taking place through collaboration between the authority and various government agencies and trademark owners.
Penalties
In the UAE, penalties for possessing and selling counterfeit goods are at the court's discretion, including fines, confiscation, destruction, imprisonment and deportation.
According to Article 49 of Federal Decree Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, severe penalties are imposed on those who forge a trademark or counterfeit a trademark in a way that leads to confusing the public, whether, in respect of the goods or services distinguished by the original trademark or those that are similar thereto.
This includes imprisonment and a fine of no less than Dh100,000 and not more than Dh1 million, or either of these two.
The violators will also be subject to the penalty for knowingly using a forged or counterfeit trademark for commercial purposes and knowingly importing or exporting goods bearing a forged or counterfeit Trademark, among others.
The accused is responsible for providing evidence of their lack of knowledge about the counterfeit nature of the goods or informing the exporter.