UAE - OSN tackling TV piracy

There are a number of reports of the same case involving action by OSN resulting in the conviction of an individual in the UAE (Al Arabiya, Al Bawaba, Gulf News).

The defendant was convicted of selling IP888 TV services and sentenced to three months in prison, a fine of DHs50,000 followed by deportation from the UAE. The reports refer to 213 actions across the GCC and Egypt and specifically refer to an increase in the use of IP TV services provided by UKTV Abroad, IP888 TV, Primetimetv.TV, Volka TV, Royal IPTV, GIPTV and Expat TV.

This part of the Empty Quarter feels that these reports are useful warnings to other sellers of the fact that OSN are active and targeting sellers of specific services.

Syria - Agreement with North Korea covers intellectual property

News from Syria of the signing by the Culture Ministry of an agreement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).

The Syrian Radio & TV Online webiste (here) reports:

The Culture Ministry signed on Wednesday with the Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) the executive program for cultural cooperation for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The program includes cooperation in the fields of cinema, theatre, music, plastic arts, copyrights, intellectual property, culture days, the Higher Institute of Music and the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts.

Cooperation in cinema will include holding film weeks in both countries and exchanging movie experts and participation in film festivals.

In theatre, the program will involve cooperation in exchanging visits of artistic bands and participation in music and theatre festivals, in addition to supporting cooperation between the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus and its counterpart in the DPRK.

The two sides will exchange expertise and visits and hold exhibitions in painting, sculpturing and publications in the framework of cooperation in the arts field, according to the program.

As for copyrights cooperation, both sides will encourage protection of literary and artistic groups and copyrights and intellectual property rights, especially at the international forums.

The program also provides for cooperation in the music field where both sides cooperate in teaching music, exchanging visits and holding culture days in both countries.

Culture Minister Issam Khalil said in a press statement following the singing that this program is part of activating cooperation between Syria and Democratic Korea as both countries face continuous attempts aimed at undermining their independent political decision and sovereignty.

In turn, Ambassador Jang Myong Ho of DPRK said the program shows that bilateral relationship between the two countries is developing in all fields.

UAE - launch of US$544 million Innovation Fund

Following on from the various events and announcements (here) relating to the Year of Innovation there are now many reports of a very substantial fund for innovation.

Sheikh Mohammed launches $544M innovation fund announces Al Bawaba (here)
Sheikh Mohammed sets up $544m innovation fund announces Gulf Digital News (here)
Dh2 billion fund to finance innovation projects launched in Dubai announces The National (here)

All the these relate to the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fund to Finance Innovation.

Interestingly, all three report that "applicants need to have registered their project as intellectual property and the initial stage of the project must already be established, the Ministry of Finance said.

It will prioritise projects that contribute to the UAE Vision 2021 and in the seven sectors named in the national innovation strategy. They are: renewable energy, transport, education, health, technology, water and space. The pilot phase of the initiative will be launched during the first half of next year followed by the official launch of the Fund’s operations in the second half of 2016. A small fee will be charged for all applications, “and the amount will depend on each individual request”. All projects will be evaluated by a “group of experts in respective areas” for their “effectiveness and practicality”."

Egypt - Thomson Reuters partners with Presidential Council for Education and Scientific Research

A report on Zawya (part of Thomson Reuters) (here) of the partnership between Thomson Reuters and the Presidential Council for Education and Scientific Research in Egypt to 

"enhance its Knowledge Bank, to be launched in January 2016, to empower its scientists and prepare a new generation scholars with the needed tools and advisement to advance their research and increase global impact.

"This strategic partnership with Thomson Reuters is part of the Egyptian Knowledge Bank Project aimed at providing all Egyptian citizens with access to quality research and education materials," said Secretary General Secretariat of the Specialized Presidential Council for Education and Research, Tarek Shawki, PhD. "This agreement will provide all Egyptians with access to world-class publications and offer critical tools they need to excel in their education and research. The Presidential Council will also explore a wider range of Thomson Reuters ' products and solutions in the next four years."

Thomson Reuters will work with the Council to support the nation's research efforts by providing guidance through on going workshops and key tools, including Web of Science, InCites, Journal Citation Reports and Thomson Innovation to enable the nation's scientists and research institutions to successfully navigate the lifecycle of innovation, from discovery to protection to commercialization."

UAE - DDED seizes 353,000 fake items worth Dh12 million from 157 flats and warehouses during Q3 2015

A report in the Khaleej Times (here) that the DDED seized a total of 353,000 items worth Dh12 million from 157 flats and warehouses during the third quarter of 2015 according to the Ibrahim Behzad, the director of intellectual property protection at the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DDED)

There were a staggering 1,363 violations following 1,999 inspection visits across the city resulting in detentions of perfumes, cosmetics, vehicle spare parts, mobile phones, leather bags, and watches. 

UAE - A Year of Innovation, an Innovation Week, an Innovation Index and a lot of money to be invested in innovation

This part of the Empty Quarter has long admired the ability of the United Arab Emirates, and Dubai in particular, to get hold of an idea and make it work. The evidence of this for all to see.

This year is officially the Year of Innovation, in which not much had appeared to have been happening, until this the Innovation Week.

An investment of Dhs300 billion

As with many things UAE we shall start with the biggest announcement from President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, of the adoption of the Emirates Science, Technology and Innovation Higher Policy which includes 100 national initiatives in education, health, energy, transportation, space and water. Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: "Planning a higher policy for the UAE in the fields of science, technology and innovation that includes scientific initiatives, legislative recommendations and clear financial investment is a strategic decision that aims to change the national economy equation to drive it away from depending on limited oil resources. Our aim, as my brother His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has said, "is to celebrate the last oil barrel we export because we will be prepared for that day when it comes."

The plan foresees an investment of over Dhs300 billion to build a vibrant knowledge economy in the UAE.

There are full reports in the Khaleej Times (here), Emirates 24/7 (here), Gulf Today (here), Gulf News (here), and Al Bawaba (here)

Importantly for this part of the Empty Quarter the Policy "includes new legislative frameworks to protect intellectual property and copyrights, attract scientists and researchers to the UAE's academic and research institutions and facilitate the easy movement of advanced scientific equipment and resources into the UAE."

The Innovation Week

Details on the UAE Innovates website (here) of the week long festival of innovation events.

Including, belatedly, details of the Intellectual Property & Technology Transfer Symposium hosted by the United Arab Emirates University details of which can be found here.

Top ranked in the Innovation Index

The Khaleej Times reports here that Dubai ranked top in the latest innovation index among Middle East countries and 16th globally. The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has created with PwC the Dubai Innovation Index as part of the Year of Innovation Innovation Week Of particular interest are the coments that intellectual property emerged as one area for improvement and that professional services turned out to be one of the least innovative sectors in Dubai.

UAE - DDED launches Advisory Board

Reports (Gulf News, Al Bawaba) of the creation of the Intellectual Property Protection Advisory Board by the Dubai Department of Economic Development (the DDED). The Board is to be the voice of rights holders to the DDED. It will be headed by a representative of the DDED and will have members from each industry sector. The Board is to meet every quarter and listen to the feedback and recommendations from the industry representatives on negative practices, if any, and devise strategies to combat them. It will also be involved in sharing of knowledge and best practices in IP protection.

This part of the Empty Quarter understands that the Gulf Brand Protection Group will be actively involved in the Board.

UAE - Dubai Customs detains 101 shipments in first 9 months of 2015

A report in the Khaleej Times (here) this week that Dubai Customs reported that in the first 9 months of this year they had detained 101 shipments of counterfeit goods.

Further, official figures show that Dubai Customs made 756 seizures of IPR infringing goods between 2012 and 2014 and that from early 2012 to the end of September 2015, Dubai Customs carried out 110 awareness seminars, attended by 4,600 people, and 16 workshops on methods for detection of counterfeits, with 446 participants from various government agencies tasked with fighting counterfeits.

UAE - Trade Mark Office - on-line system to go live from Sunday 6 December 2015

The Trade Mark Office has today announced by email to all agents that the on-line filing system will go live on 6 December 2015. The system had been tested by all agents from September 2015

The announcement from the Trade Mark Office reads (translated from Arabic):

We would like to let you know that starting Sunday 6 December 2015 we will launch the following electronic services:

1. Filing an application to register a trade mark.
2. Filing an application to renew trade mark registration.

This will be through the following link: https://services.economy.ae/m through which you can register a new username.

Please note that after submitting your application through electronic services, the forms of these services should be sent through regular mail to the office of the ministry in Abu Dhabi on P.O box 901 in the name of Trade Marks Department.

Please note that all the Customer Service Centres will stop receiving these application starting from the above mentioned date.

Should you have any queries please contact:
Mr. Mohammad Rayyan
Email: : Exceed_Mohammad@economy.ae
Tel: 043141647

Mr. Mahdi Masoud
Email: : mmahrous@economy.ae
Tel: 026131434

The announcement is interesting for a number of reasons. The on-line system is limited to filing the application to renew or register the mark. All other parts of the process will continue to be handled in the usual way without the on-line system (i.e. by email and paper). Paper copies of the application file must be submitted by regular post to the Trade Mark Office in Abu Dhabi and neither the main office or the branch in Abu Dhabi will accept paper applications or the paper files (the risk of the paper files going missing is notable). There is no mention of how payment of official fees can be made.  

This part of the Empty Quarter feels that a cynic might ask if the sole benefit of the new system is that it simply transfers the burden of data entry from the Trade Mark Office to the local agent. To which a response might be that accuracy of records is vital and perhaps the local agents can assist the Trade Mark Office in achieving that. There will be further developments in the coming weeks.

Arab Ministers of Justice meeting to include Intellectual Property

News from the Kuwait News Agency (here) of a meeting in Cairo on 18 and 19 November 2015 of the Arab Justice Ministers. Among many other issues the report says that the Ministers will consider unification of Arab legislation for protection of intellectual property.

Jordan - DealMakers 2015 event

News of the DealMakers 2015 event hosted in Amman, Jordan on Friday 20 November 2015 by Endeavour Jordan here.

The event has a numbner of workshops - two of which are of particular interest - one on Innovation through Intellectual Property and a second on Navigating the Legal Landscape.

Kuwait - 8th International Invention Fair in the Middle East - 16 to 19 November 2015

News of the 8th International Invention Fair in the Middle East held in Kuwait.

The main website for the event is here and various news reports are here, here, here, here and here.

Kuwait - possible increase in official fees in December 2015 (Chapter 2)

Further to the earlier post here there is now more news on the World Trademark Review blog here. 

Iran - University of Tehran workshop on translations covers intellectual property rights and obligations

News reaches this part of the Empty Quarter of a workshop at the University of Tehran held by the Tehran Translators and Interpreters’ Association in collaboration with the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature of the University on 9 November 2015.

Among other topics the workshop covered intellectual property rights. Details on the Mehr News Agency website here.

Kuwait - possible increase in official fees in December 2015

News from good friends Dr. Khaled Al YaqoutLaw Firm & Legal Consultation that they have been informed that official fees for most intellectual property transactions will significantly increase in Kuwait from 21 December 2015.

Their email newsletter reads:

Dear Sirs,

We have been notified unofficially that effective from December 21, 2015; the official fees of most intellectual property transactions will be substantially increased. The fees of several IP transactions will be doubled 23 times or more. We have confirmed news that the new official fees in Kuwait will apply even to applications filed prior to December 21, 2015. If this proves to be true, it will mean that the fees for stages such as publication and registration will be doubled 23 times i.e. US$1586.00 for publication in the official Gazette and registration of one trademark in one class. We have not yet received the official notice of increase which is expected to be issued in the official gazette on 21 December, 2015

If you have any questions or need any clarification regarding the new IP fees in Kuwait, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely yours,
Yasser Megahed
Patent and Trademark Attorney
Head of Intellectual Property Division
Dr. Khaled Al Yaqout Law Firm & Legal Consultation
Abdulazez Al Saqer St., Al Khaled tower
12th Floor, Beside Kuwait Airways Building
Al Qubla, Kuwait
P.O. Box: 12724 Al-Shamyia, Postal Code: 71658 Kuwait.
Tel.: +965 22400430/1/2
Fax: +965 22400433
Email: yasser@dralyaqoutlawfirm.com
URL: http://www.dralyaqoutlawfirm.com

So far this news does not appear to have been reported elsewhere and so we wait for confirmation of the new fees.

Qatar - copyright enforcement

News (here) in The Peninsula newspaper of an action taken by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in Qatar against an operation copying CDs and DVDs. 

Sudan - WIPO - PCT - National Phase – National Chapter - update

News from WIPO yesterday that the National Chapter of the National Phase of the PCT Applicant's guide for Sudan has been updated. The updated version can be found here. 

UK Government survey on EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Morocco and Tunisia

News from the UK IPO that the European Commission is planning to launch free trade agreement negotiations with Morocco and Tunisia in the near future and that the UK Government is conducting a business survey about existing barriers to trade in these countries. They ask for responses to the survey by Friday 27th November. The survey is here.

This part of the Empty Quarter wanted to find out more about the Free Trade Agreement negotiations themselves, did some searching and found these useful summaries from the European Commission for Morocco and Tunisia.

Apparently negotiations for a "Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement" (DCFTA) between the EU and Morocco were launched on 1st March 2013. Four or five negotiating rounds have taken place. The DCFTA is intended to extend significantly beyond the scope of the existing Association Agreement to include trade in services, government procurement, competition, intellectual property rights, investment protection and the gradual integration of the Moroccan economy into the EU single market. The main objective of the DCFTA is to bring Moroccan legislation closer to EU legislation in trade-related areas.

Discussions with Tunisia do not seem to be so advanced.

the Oath - the 2015 Awards

The shortlists have been announced for "the Oath Middle East Legal Awards 2015" (here).

The short list for the Intellectual Property Team Of The Year is:

Al Tamimi & Company
Baker & McKenzie
BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates
Clyde & Co
Dentons
Eversheds
Rouse

The winner will be announced at the gala dinner on 25 November 2015 at the Conrad, Dubai.

Iran - WIPO domain name decision - amundi.ir

News from WIPO (here) of the decision to order the transfer of the marksandspencer.ir domain from a local registrant to Marks and Spencer plc.

The local registrant did not respond in the proceedings.

The decision is of particular interest because it appears that the registrant has previously registered domains of other well known businesses. The relevant part of the decision reads:

"As an additional consideration, the Panel also notes that Respondent has been found to have registered and/or used domain names in bad faith in several other cases under the Policy which suggests a pattern of conduct on the part of Respondent (see: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. v. Mohammed Ali Mokhtari, WIPO Case No. DIR2010-0007(), and Petroleo Brasiliero S.A. - Petrobas v. Mohammed Ali Mokhtari, WIPO Case No. DIR2013-0004 ())."

UAE - National Day and Martyrs' Day holidays

The public sector holiday starts on Tuesday 1 December 2015. Government departments will re-open on Sunday 6 December 2015.

The private sector holiday is Wednesday 2 December and Thursday 3 December 2015. 

Saudi Arabia - online filing of trade mark renewals and recordals

News from good friends Saba & Co in their October 2015 newsletter (here) about online filing of trade mark renewals and recordals in Saudi Arabia.

They say "Trademark renewals are expected to be filed online in Saudi Arabia by the end of the year.

There have been a number of unconfirmed reports that the renewal of trademarks will only be filed online. The move to electronic filing of trademark registrations back in late 2013 saw a substantial increase in publication fees. Accordingly, we expect that this time around as well that the move to e-filing will be coupled with an increase in publication fees related to the trademark renewals.

The online filing of trademark recordals is expected to come into force next year. As such, an increase in the publication fees of the recordal of assignments, licenses and mergers is expected. We do not foresee a change in the fees for the recordal of change of name and address, however.

As per the Saudi trademark law a trademark may be renewed up to one Hijri year (approx. 354 days) before the renewal due date. Accordingly we recommend that you apply for any renewals that fall due before the end of 2016 ahead of the expected increase in publication fees.

Should you have any questions, or require any additional information, please contact us at news@sabaip.com"

Libya - lots of updates on the functioning of the Trade Mark Office

Further to earlier posts here, here, and here there is a lot of news about the functioning of the Trade Mark Office in Libya.

Good friends Abdelhadi - Intellectual Property reported in a newsletter in October 2015 that "the Libyan Trademark Office is now fully operational. The Libyan TMO is currently accepting the filing of new trademark applications, renewal applications, assignments and amendment recordals. Furthermore, the TMO has proceeded with the issuance of 500 trademark registration certificates thus far."

Good friends Saba reported in their October newsletter (here) that "The Trademark Office in Libya began issuing trademark registration certificates for applications in the 5000 series after years of civil unrest in the country. In light of this new development, we will be reviewing the files for all pending applications awaiting certificates and will be following-up on their status with the TMO."

Good friends Clyde & Co report in their October 2015 IP Regional update (here) that "The Libyan Trade Mark Office has announced that it will resume issuing trade mark registration certificates for the first time since 2003.  The renewal due date will fall 10 years from date of filing which means that, for many applications, the renewal will fall due at the same time as (or shortly after) the certificate of registration is issued.  "We understand that the officials are currently issuing certificates for applications numbered around 5,500, which covers filings around the year 2006. Accordingly, there is a significant backlog to be cleared, but this is still welcome news for rights holders who have an interest in Libya. It is also important to ensure that the renewals are carried out to prevent a loss of rights." Jon Parker, Head of Trade Marks

NJQ reported (here) "This is to confirm that the Libyan Trademark Office (LTMO) has started issuing registration certificates as well as accepting renewal applications since 1 October 2015. Accordingly, any applications that have matured to registration (published and no oppositions raised) and that are still valid, a registration certificate will issue once payment of the official fees of LYD151 approximately USD111) has been made. As for expired applications, it is possible to issue renewal certificates after paying the normal renewal fee of LYD181 (approximately USD133) per application."

AGIP reported in their October newsletter (here) that "The Libyan Trademark Office announced that it has started issuing registration certificates for trademark applications for the first time since 2003. According to the Libyan Trademark Office, the renewal due date is 10 years as from the filing date, and therefore all the registration certificates will be due for renewal at the time of issuance. Obtaining such a certificate is important because it is an evidence that a particular trademark has been appropriately registered by the Libyan Trademark Office. It is also an evidence that the trademark registration process was successfully completed, which is considered as recognition by the Libyan authorities of the growing importance of trademark protection in Libya."

Egypt - trade mark enforcement by Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade

News in brief from AGIP that the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade has launched anew consumer protection initiative relying checking bar codes. The AGIP report is available on their website here.

UAE - Abu Dhabi Police seize 30,000 fake designer goods in raid on three apartments

News reaches this part of the Empty Quarter of a report of action in the The National from 7 November 2015 (here) in Abu Dhabi by the Police to seize counterfeit products from a residential apartment.

EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Southern Mediteranean countries

News reaches, in a roundabout way, this part of the Empty Quarter of ongoing efforts by the European Commission to strengthen ties with those countries that border the Mediterranean.

There is an interesting portal to these efforts on the European Commission Euro-Mediterranean partnership webpage here. And there is a up to date summary of FTA and other trade negotiations in a PDF document here (which covers other countries as well). These are of interest because they lead to "Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements" which cover Intellectual Property.

UAE - 16/17 November 2015 - The 5th Regional Intellectual Property conference in the Middle East and North Africa - Updated

The 5th Regional Intellectual Property Crime Conference in the Middle East and Africa takes place at the Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifah, Dubai on 16 and 17 November 2015.  The event is organised by the Emirates IP Association (www.eipa.ae) and Interpol in cooperation with Dubai Police, Dubai Customs and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. 

A draft agenda seen by this part of the Empty Quarter refers to speakers from Dubai Police, Dubai Customs, EIPA, Interpol, and UL as well as representatives from China, Japan, Qatar, Hong Kong, the Los Angeles Police, WIPO, the League of Arab States, the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program, Microsoft Gulf, The Walt Disney Company, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, a University Professor and, the very well known, Hoda Barakat.  

There is a press report on the Gulf Today website here.

There is a report from the first day on the Gulf Today website here. 

There is a report from the second day on the Gulf Today website here.