By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — The protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the GCC - who and what the law protects -is the main theme of the major two-day international conference to be held in Dubai at the JW Marriott Hotel today and tomorrow.
Some of the pressing issues to be discussed in this conference - which is touted as an invaluable opportunity to fully understand one of the most important issues affecting business practices in the GCC today - will be UAE’s recognition of the importance of intellectual property to local business; trademark infringement, abuse of copyright, abuse of rights to inventions, sanctions to enforce the rights, prison sentences for the originators etc.
Among the local and international experts addressing the conference will be Abdulaziz Al Midfa, Assistant Undersecretary, the Ministry of Information and Culture, Abu Dhabi, who will be presenting a special keynote address.
The Arab worlds leading specialist in the protection of Intellectual Property Rights, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, who has helped draft legislation for several regional governments, will also address the conference. Abu-Ghazaleh, president of the Arab Society for the Protection Industrial Property (ASPIP) and the society’s consultative representative with both the United Nations and the World intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, will deliver a panel discussion at the two- day seminar.
In a recent interview with the “Times of Oman”, Abu-Ghazaleh said that the drafting of a copyright law would increase Oman’s standing in international trade circles, ‘Those who hesitate to get involved in commercial activities and trade with Oman would be attracted to the Omani market if protection is assured to their products and technologies, which in turn would benefit Oman,” he had said.
The implementation of a copyright law would provide the assurance that foreign traders are looking for in order to get encouraged to deal commercially with the Sultanate. Others include a senior executive of WIPO, the USA Consul-General in Dubai, the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the Business Software Association, Microsoft , Unilever, Glaxo, Mercedes Benz, Price Waterhouse, Clifford Chance and other leading experts in this increasingly vital field of world trade.
The seminar is organised by Infocenter International in conjunction with Clifford Chance.
Recently, a Canadian expert said that the Mid-East is ripe for franchise development. Maurice Muise, president of Delta Business Development, said that the region is “prime territory” for franchise development. He added that it is not just the wealth of the region that makes it ripe for a franchising boom. “The area is devoid of lots of different businesses that are widely available elsewhere in the world. In other words, their are many ideas still waiting to be imported and exploited in this part of the world and a lot of business opportunities that can and eventually will he franchised here.”
He said that the people of the region have already become aware that franchising is a successful way to expand a business —— “one of the most successful in the world, in fact. And investors have realised that because it is so successful, its also a good way to expand their investment.”
However, Muise warned that potential franchisees have to be aware of the different types of commercial vehicles available to them to achieve this expansion. There are basically five of them -- direct unit franchising, branch office subsidiaries, area development agreements, master franchise agreements and joint venture agreements.
Meanwhile in the UAE, between five and ten shops have already been ordered to close down by the Ministry of Information for not following the new copyright rules and more face closure if they fail to comply, according to a recent report in a Gulf daily.
A circular issued by the Ministry on March 22 gave shops selling goods covered by the new copyright law until April 5 to submit a list of their stock to the government, and until September 1 to get rid of any goods approved by the ministry.