Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) in cooperation with the Arab Society for Intellectual Property (ASIP) and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) organized a seminar entitled “Trademark as an Asset to the Company” at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, March 21-22, 2005.
The seminar, which was held under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Economy and Planning in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), discussed topics related to trademarks, their values, uses, and means of protection.
Participants also tackled protection of industrial designs, IP Portfolio Management, as well as Licensing and Franchising.
"In light of the increasingly worldwide interest in trademarks, AGIP organized this seminar to raise awareness of trademarks and their importance in the local market," said Mr. Mo'tasem Abu-Ghazaleh, national marketing director at AGIP.
Ms. Fatima Khalaf Al Housani, Trademark Office manager and Commercial Registration director at the Ministry, stated that the UAE is one of the countries that exert relentless efforts to protect Intellectual Property Rights in the Arab region.
"In the past few years, the Ministry of Economy and Planning received more than 60,000 trademark applications. Up to date, 40,000 trademarks have been registered," Ms. Al Housani pointed out.
Meanwhile, Mr. Waleed Hashim, from Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co. said that trademarks are intangible assets, yet they can have enormous value for an enterprise.
Mr. Hashim discussed issues related to how to determine the value of a trademark, how we know if we are getting the best revenue from investment in a trademark, and what the potential advantages and disadvantages of licensing a trademark are.
The seminar brought together more than 100 participants from various business sectors in the UAE.