IACC Deepens Dialogue with Partners in the Middle East and Asia Pacific
IACC Hosts UAE Delegation and Speaks at Vietnam Enforcement Workshop
Meeting with UAE Delegation – Washington, D.C
On March 27, the IACC hosted a delegation of officials from the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Emirates IP Association (EIPA), Dubai Police and Brand Owners Protection Group. The meeting took place at the IACC’s headquarters in Washington DC and focused on furthering our partnership. The IACC signed an MOU with EIPA and conducted training for Dubai police in 2015.
The UAE delegation was led by Maj. General Dr. Abdul Quddoos A.R. Al-Obailli, Chairman EIPA, Dubai Police with additional participants: Ms. Fatema Al Hosani, Director of Trademarks Department, UAE Ministry of Economy; Lt. Col. Dr. Abdelrahman Almuaini, Director of Innovation Center, Dubai Police and Mr. Malek Hannouf, Chairman of the Brand Owners Protection Group.
USPTO Asia Regional WorkshopÐ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The IACC was pleased to participate in a week-long Asia Regional Workshop on Enforcement Against Trade in Counterfeit Food, Beverages, Cosmetics and Fast Moving Consumer Goods, organized by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, April 2ndÐ 5th.
The workshop brought together nearly 140 participants, including private industry representatives as well as customs officials, law enforcement, public prosecutors, and criminal and regulatory investigators from 30 countries across the APEC region. The workshop was held to discuss best practices for anti-counterfeiting enforcement, the development of effective legal and regulatory frameworks to address intellectual property crimes, and opportunities for cross-border collaboration to address common concerns. The workshop focused on the food & beverage, cosmetics, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors.
Travis Johnson, Senior Counsel and Vice PresidentÐ Legislative Affairs, represented the IACC on two panels during the event. The first centered on the practical challenges faced by both rights-holders and consumers in the online environment, drawing on the IACC’s past and ongoing work in that space. In addition, he joined a panel of government and industry stakeholders to discuss a “government-wide” approach to IP protection, and the importance of public-private partnership to effective enforcement regimes.
In addition to those classroom sessions, the program included opportunities to visit Ho Chi Minh City’s Cat Lai Port to meet with the management of Saigon New Port; as well as a trip to the local UPS airport facility to observe operations.
The USPTO has organized many IP enforcement workshops in Asia throughout the years. The IACC has participated in and fully supports these events as valuable educational and best practice sharing opportunities for both government and industry. The IACC looks forward to continuing to support and assist the USPTO where we can to advance IP enforcement in Asia and around the world.