Saudi Arabia to hold 3rd Saudi IP Forum in April 2014 at KACST - updated

News that the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the home of the Saudi Patent Office, will host the 3rd Saudi Intellectual Property Forum on 22/23/24 April 2014. The Forum will focus on Intellectual Property Rights and Enforcement and the draft program refers to speakers from KACST, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, WIPO, the World Health Organisation, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the General Customs Authority, Microsoft, the BSA, Autodisc, and others.

The Forum is mentioned in the events page of KACST here, and now there is useful information on the Forum website here. 

The Forum appears not to be a continuation of the Arab Forum for IPR Protection (http://www.ipr.gov.sa/).

This part of the Empty Quarter welcomes news of this event, timed to be so close to World Intellectual Property Day, and hopes there will be as much action as there is talk.

Further news on amendments to the UAE Commercial Fraud law

With thanks to good friends Clyde & Co, further news (following earlier post here) on the amendments to the Commercial Fraud law can be found on their website here. 

UAE to amend Commercial Fraud Law

News that a proposed Commercial Fraud Law in the United Arab Emirates may soon be enacted.

There is a useful summary report in The National (here) from November 2013 and news on the Arabic only The Emirates Today (here) that the Financial and Economic Committee of the Federal National Council has announced that the draft law will be sent to the Federal Cabinet to consider.

This part of the Empty Quarter welcomes this news. The existing Law for the Prevention of Fraud and Deception in Commercial Dealings dates from 1979 since when much has changed in the world of commerce.