February 2011

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The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), along with the Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (an agency of the Dubai Economic Department), recently organised a course entitled ‘Training of Trainers Programme on Effective Intellectual Property Management by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Dubai’.

Al Tamimi &amp; Company was pleased to support this five-day training programme, the first of its kind in the Arab region. Omar Obeidat, Partner and Head of Department IP/IT, presented on ‘IP Law and Administration in the UAE’. Faisal Daudpota, Senior Associate IP/IT, spoke on ‘Practical Tips for IP Rights Enforcement in the UAE’. Divya Rajesh, an IP Administrator in our IP/IT team, participated in the programme as a trainee.

Omar Obeidat led the trainees through the laws governing patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, trade secrets and unfair competition in the UAE. Omar also explained the filing processes, and provided statistical details relating to the registration of various intellectual property rights in the UAE. Interesting case studies were also presented, allowing the trainees to discuss, and better grasp, the presentation content.

Faisal Daudpota broadly introduced IP enforcement options, and then explained in more detail the administrative, civil and criminal enforcement measures that are available in the UAE for patents, designs, copyrights, trade secrets and domain names. The practical tips that Faisal provided also generated a lively discussion amongst the participants.

The programme covered other subjects relating to IP, such as the role of IP in branding, the role of IP in strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs, managing IP in a digital economy, leveraging IP assets through licensing, franchising and merchandising, and basic IP services available from institutions supporting SMEs in Dubai and the UAE.

The programme was designed to create a group of trainers equipped with essential knowledge and skills to provide preliminary IP guidance to entrepreneurs, students and SMEs. Some of the trainees will have the opportunity to be involved in further training through WIPO’s ‘Train the Trainers’ programme.