Jordan’s Customs Department at the Ministry of Finance and Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 18, 2005, aimed at building up cooperation between the two parties and enhancing their efforts in protecting intellectual property rights (IPRs), ag-IP-news Agency reported.
The MoU was signed by General Director of the Customs Department, Mr. Alaa Al Batayneh, and Chairman of AGIP, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, in the presence of government officials and a number of AGIP managers.
The main objective the MoU stressed is the need to develop the efficiency of its departments in enforcing legislations related to protecting IPRs, dealing with illegal trade in Jordan, and upgrading the services rendered by AGIP to its clients regarding enforcing and protecting owners’ rights of legally registered trademarks against the entry of illegal goods into the Kingdom which infringe their rights.
The Memorandum permits AGIP to file an application for the registration and recording of trademarks owned by its clients and duly registered in their names at the Customs Department in Jordan, so as to protect their trademark rights against infringements by others through the importation of goods bearing marks violating the IPRs determined for them under applicable laws.
Registration would be made by AGIP on behalf of the clients under the powers of attorney granted to it by its clients.
In addition, one of the Memorandum’s articles stipulates that AGIP shall organize specialized training courses and workshops, free of charge, for the employees of the Customs Department to improve their knowledge and to raise awareness of the various aspects of IP.
This will be done under a subsequent agreement between the two parties where the parties will determine the nature of the said courses and workshops, time schedules, number of participants, without any financial claims in this regard by the Customs Department.