The efforts of Dubai Economy at enhancing the measures related to protecting Intellectual property rights & restricting the trademark and copyright infringements in Dubai have yielded positive outcomes. The steps, aimed at increasing the business competitiveness in Dubai, have received an enthusiastic response from trademark owners and commercial agencies from across the world.
Being one of the top business hubs in the world, Dubai has been a preferred location for businesses to start their operations. Numerous world-renowned brands and other small businesses have chosen Dubai in the hope of enhancing their business aspirations. Considering this aspect, the Department of Dubai Economy has stepped up its efforts to combat intellectual property violations and trademark infringements in Dubai. New official data suggests that such efforts are giving positive results that increase the confidence of business owners in Dubai.
Why there is a Rise in Number of Applications for Filing the Trademark Protection with Dubai Economy?
The increase in the number of trademarks and agencies registered could be considered as recognition for Dubai authorities’ efforts at attracting the highest-quality brands from across the world as well as providing multi-channel intellectual property protection. It also means brands are increasingly recognizing the importance of the retail sector and purchasing power in Dubai. Brand owners are also showing confidence in Dubai authorities in safeguarding their Intellectual Property Rights.
According to a recent statement from Dubai Economy, the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in Dubai Economy saw a 34% rise in trademark files. There was a 127% surge in commercial agency files registered in 2019 as opposed to the previous year.
Note: Ministry of Economy (MOE) is the concerned authority to register trademarks in the jurisdiction of UAE. Dubai Economy is the body administered by the Government of Dubai. The businesses that have registered trademarks with the Ministry of Economy (MOE) can seek the help of Dubai Economy to prevent the infringement of their trademarks in the emirate of Dubai for free.
As per the Dubai Economy data, applications filed to counter trademark infringement at CCCP in 2019 touched 5,157 and 50 commercial agency files were also registered in the same period. It is important to note that the figures were 3,844 and 22 respectively in the year 2018.
Foreign Business Owners Show Trust in Dubai Intellectual Property Reforms
Global brands have shown confidence in the trademark registration reforms implemented by the Dubai authorities. US brands have been at the forefront of filing for trademark registration at the Dubai Economy. In 2019, The US brands registered 1,585 filings or 31% of the total.
There has been only a marginal increase in the trademark infringement complaints registered in 2019. As per the Dubai Economy data, 298 complaints related to trademark infringement in UAE were registered at the Intellectual Property Protection Department at Dubai Economy. This shows a marginal increase of 1% compared to the complaints registered in 2018.
In the meantime, cases of UAE trademark infringements filed by commercial agencies have shown a decline of 17%. The number of such cases came down from 42 to 35 between 2018 and 2019, as per the official data.
The UAE came at the second spot with 818 files (16%) while trademark filings by German brands shot up by 7% to 373 files. France, Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, the British Virgin Islands, India, China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Canada were also among the top 15 source countries that filed for trademark registration in Dubai in 2019.
Apart from this, the US trademarks were involved in 58 of the trademark infringement complaints in 2019 while Emirati and French brands were involved in 43 cases. Brands from Switzerland (36), Germany (23), Italy (16), UK (15), Japan (12), and Spain (7) were also involved and the remaining complaints were related to 24 different countries.
Sectors Leading in Filing Trademark Protection Cases in Dubai
Brands pertaining to the retail sector have shown immense confidence in the system of intellectual property protection in Dubai. The figures released by the Dubai Economy show that sectors related to the retail domain leading in filing complaints related to trademark infringements in Dubai. The following is the sector-wise breakup of the trademark filings:
Perfumes were the leading category of goods involved in the complaints (35 cases). Cosmetics (32), personal care products (30) jewellery, clothes, phones, accessories (28 cases each), bags and leather products (14), motor & machinery (11), eyeglasses (10), foods (8), advertising, restaurants (7 each) watches and auto parts (6 each) came next.
Other categories of goods that are involved in the Dubai trademark infringement cases are energy drinks, education services, lamps, and electrical appliances, cleaning tools and powders, oils and greases, building materials, pharmaceuticals, cans and casings, tobacco and smoking accessories, inks, and electronic devices.
Conclusion
The protection of trademarks should be the top priority for business owners or those planning to set up a new business in Dubai. Any laxity shown towards registering trademarks in Dubai might result in big losses as competitive rivals may put a dent on business once a company starts earning a profit and getting popular in the market.
As the Government of Dubai is keen to protect the intellectual property rights of businesses, the companies in Dubai must file their trademarks with the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) after completing the process of trademark registration in UAE with Ministry of Economy.