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Abu Dhabi: Arab countries need to focus more on the implementation of legal frameworks related to Intellectual Property (IP), officials and experts said on Tuesday.
Abu Dhabi is hosting a two-day event, labelled as the first Arab IP Forum, organised by the UAE Ministry of Economy, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), and Khasawneh and Associates Legal Consultants.
"Organising this event reflects clearly the UAE's commitment to dedicate all the necessary time and effort for reviewing and discussing IP-related issues and its role as an instrument for economic development," Economy Minister Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi told the participants in her opening speech.
"With the increasing and accelerating international trade in commodities, investment, technology and services in all sectors, the world's economy is relying more and more on knowledge, information, and IP products, which represent a cornerstone for today's global economy," she said.
Concerns
International concerns related to piracy and counterfeiting have increased recently, especially with the adoption of IP by many international agreements and treaties. The forum stresses that this was accompanied by an increasing awareness among Arab countries that IP does not only serve multinationals, but is now representing a crucial element in the process of economic growth in the developing world.
"Counterfeited goods represent seven to eight per cent of the total value of international trade, yet we do not have any figures for the Arab World in this respect," said Sherif Saadallah, an executive director at WIPO, who expressed his admiration for the UAE's efforts in combating piracy and counterfeited goods.
"What we need to push forward is the importance of IP for small and medium enterprises working in different fields of technology, and how to protect the IP rights of these businesses," he added.
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