‘Dubai Declaration’ Calls for Action to Combat Counterfeiting and Piracy

LYON - The Global Congress Steering Group issued on May 15, 2008, the Dubai Declaration, identifying 25 recommendations as follow-up to the Fourth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy that was held in Dubai, February 3-5, 2008.

According to a press release by the Global Congress, the recommendations for action in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy reflect the comments and views of the senior government officials, business leaders and senior law enforcement authorities who attended the Congress.

This international event in Dubai brought together over 1,200 delegates from 90 countries and was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai.

Hosted by Dubai Customs and the World Customs Organization (WCO), the Fourth Global Congress provided a forum for participants to discuss and identify effective actions and solutions to address the growing problem of product counterfeiting and piracy.

More than 50 speakers from 25 countries delivered proposals to more effectively combat counterfeiting and piracy around the general themes of:

• Enhancing cooperation and coordination;

• Improving legislation and enforcement;

• Increasing public and political awareness of counterfeiting and piracy activities and their associated economic and social harm;

• Building capacity (skills and competencies) to protect Intellectual Property;

• Stopping the growing threat to human health and safety from fake medicines and a wide range of consumer goods;

• Stopping the flow of counterfeit and pirated goods in free trade zones and transshipment countries;

• Stopping the fast growing problem of the sale of counterfeit and pirated products over the Internet.

Along with the WCO, the Congress was convened by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in partnership with the world’s business community, represented by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) through its Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative, the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the International Security Management Association (ISMA).