Sharjah Municipality Seizes Counterfeit Products

 The Sharjah Municipality has confiscated and destroyed more than 14000 fake perfume bottles. This action has been taken in the course of the Municipality's continuous efforts to counter the infringement of goods, and to stop the unlawful use of well-known trademarks, which leads to the deception of the consumer and the harming of the interests and reputation of the genuine and rightful trademark owners.
 
 The action has been taken by the Anti-fraud Department, headed by Mr. Abdulla Ibrahim, who described the counterfeiting market as "a dangerous phenomenon". This is due to the fact that the counterfeiting of famous marks and the abuse of people's trust in such marks can cause enormous financial and moral damages to the owners of the original trademarks on one hand, and to the consumer public who are the true victims of such fraud on the other hand, since it is known that fake products lack the quality of the original product. Mr. Ibrahim also stated that the abuse of well known trademarks is rejected both by law and virtue, and that the municipality would not spare an effort to fight such fraud which contradicts with our genuine Arabian trade values and traditions.
 
 Mr. Ibrahim invited the public to cooperate with Sharjah Municipality by reporting any presence of such products to the Emergency line (993) or the Anti-fraud Department at the Municipality (06/5162307).
 
 Our Office has contacted the Antifraud Department, inquiring about the activities of the department, and the requirements for taking an action on behalf of our clients.
 We have been informed that for Trademark Agents, a complaint has to be filed with the Department, supported by copies of the subject trademark registrations and a copy of the related Power of Attorney.
 
 The Department has confirmed that it would take an action immediately by confiscating and destroying the fake products.
 The infringing party will be subject to a fine reaching up to AED 10,000.00 or half the value of the products, and they should undertake in writing not to sell such products in the future.
 
 The above actions are negotiable depending on the infringer's willingness to cooperate by disclosing the source of the products or any details that may lead to the same.
 Motasem Abu-Ghazaleh - AGIP / UAE