Gulf BPG Conducts Face-to-Face Workshop for North Emirates Authorities

Gulf BPG held a face-to-face workshop in collaboration with authorities from the Northern Emirates, including Customs, Economic Departments (DED), and Police from Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain.

The event commenced with opening remarks from Gulf BPG Chairman Malek Hannouf, who highlighted the vital role of public-private partnerships in enhancing intellectual property (IP) protection. He also expressed gratitude to the participating government departments for their dedication to strengthening IP enforcement across the region.

Mr. Hannouf led the first session with an in-depth legal presentation covering the foundations of IP, the growing threat of counterfeiting, and the shared challenges faced by both brands and consumers. Key topics included imitation products, unfair competition, smuggling, the impact of parallel imports on local markets, and relevant international legal precedents.

The workshop featured expert presentations from participating brand representatives, followed by interactive sessions where attendees engaged directly with brand booths. These hands-on demonstrations focused on product authentication techniques and trained participants to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit items.

Brands represented at the event included Louis Vuitton, RIMOWA, Berluti, MOBIS, Danfoss, WD-40, Huawei, JTI, Lacoste, HP, Checko, Unilever, Richemont, Cartier, Montblanc, VCA, Apple, PUMA, Luxottica, Caterpillar, Messika, and TotalEnergies.

The workshop was highly interactive and well-received, drawing strong engagement from all stakeholders and reinforcing the importance of collaborative efforts in combating IP violations.