MoCI hosts workshop on combating trademark infringement

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the Brand Owners Protection Group (Gulf BPG), organised a training workshop y...

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the Brand Owners’ Protection Group (Gulf BPG), organised a training workshop yesterday, entitled ‘Combating Trademark Infringement and Identifying Genuine and Counterfeit Products’ held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Lusail City.

The workshop aimed to raise awareness about the importance of observing intellectual property rights and support national efforts combatting trademark infringement and protecting intellectual property rights.

Participants in the workshop included representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department and the Consumer Protection and Commercial Fraud Department, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Interior’s Department for Combating Economic and Cyber Crimes – and the General Authority of Customs.

The training programme featured a practical review of products from a number of global companies and their trademarks. It also included an explanation of the methods used to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit products in the Qatari market. Additionally, it highlighted key field challenges faced by law enforcement officers during inspection campaigns, discussed ways to enhance coordination between the concerned authorities to detect violations, and reviewed the latest technologies used in identifying counterfeit goods.

The workshop is part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s efforts to strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors. It contributes to enhancing the efficiency of the Ministry’s specialised personnel, developing their skills in detecting counterfeit and fraudulent products, and applying best practices in intellectual property protection — thereby ensuring a secure commercial environment that safeguards the rights of consumers and trademark owners in the State of Qatar.