Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, (DED) is exerting considerable efforts in cooperation with stakeholders to protect society in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi against all wrong commercial practices like fraud and deception in terms of goods, especially counterfeiting trademarks, according to a senior official at the DED Abu Dhabi.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the 8th Session of the Anti-Commercial Fraud Exhibition which concluded yesterday in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, Ahmed Tarish Al Qubaisi, DED Abu Dhabi Acting Director of the Commercial Protection Department, told that the DED has performed 17 field inspection campaigns in collaboration with trademark representatives in which 22,133 counterfeit items were seized in the markets of Abu Dhabi, commending the close coordination between the department and trademark representatives in monitoring fraud and piracy in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Akram Sabri, Goodwill Ambassador at the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and representatives of the trademarks participating in the exhibition were in attendance.

Al Qubaisi stressed the need to spread awareness within consumers and acquainting them with ways to differentiate between counterfeit good and genuine ones as they represent the first defence line against counterfeited good.

Other participants in the press conference stressed the importance of public awareness about the potential risks of counterfeit goods and how to minimise their presence in society as one of the key steps that control such products in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

They further stressed the importance of enforcing stricter penalties against violators by issuing more deterrent legislations that go beyond mere financial penalties that won't prevent violators from committing this action again.

They also indicated the great importance of training government employees through technical programs that would enable them to monitor and detect counterfeit goods during their inspection visits in the UAE markets.