At-a-glance:
Industrial property
UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, PO Box 1565, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 3939000, Fax: +971 4 3939738
Email: ind_property.mofi@uae.gov.ae
Trade marks
Ministry of Economy and Commerce, PO Box 901, Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971...
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At-a-glance:
Industrial property
UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, PO Box 1565, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 3939000, Fax: +971 4 3939738
Email: ind_property.mofi@uae.gov.ae
Trade marks
Ministry of Economy and Commerce, PO Box 901, Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 2 613 13 19, Fax: +971 2 626 29 22
Email: economy@emirates.net.ae
Copyright
Office of Intellectual Works, Ministry of Information and Culture, PO Box 17, Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 2 446 61 45 (EXT 603)
Email: copyright@mail2uae.com
The start of 2010 proved to be a quiet time for IP firms in the UAE, with some signs of a reviving market in the second quarter. "Everyone found it to be slow. From mid-year onwards it's been busier; what we have found is that people are looking for cheaper products or counterfeits, which means a greater level of enforcement work," says one practitioner.
Lawyers report some increase in filing work, which had been quiet in previous years. "There are signs that things are starting to improve, not just on instruction but on the number of enquiries we are receiving so signs of potential projects that are coming up," reports one IP lawyer.
A continuing trend from last year has been the change in client attitude. One partner notes: "Now they want to know things are being done and done properly. We get a lot more transfer work, clients want more and if they don't get it they go to other firms."
Over the past 12 months officials in the UAE have been looking at ways in which they can assist brand owners and there have been a number of consultations relating to improving the legal framework. Officials have also taken steps to raise awareness among consumers of counterfeit products through a range of seminars.
Plans were announced in November 2010 for a specialised IP court to be established in Abu Dhabi to deal purely with IP. It is not known when the court would become active but training for judges has already been set in motion.
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