999 Magazine, EIPA sign MoU

The Emirates Intellectual Property Association (EIPA) has signed an MoU with 999 Magazine to promote community service and spread awareness of intellectual property rights in the country.

The agreement provides for co-operation in the media field between 999 Magazine and EIPA, securing sponsorship for the association’s events and activities, and exchanging technical and administrative expertise in this field.

The MoU was signed at the Abu Dhabi general headquarters by Major General Khalil Dawood Badran, Director General of Finance and Services at Abu Dhabi Police and Head of the 999 Development Committee, and Major General Dr Abdul Quddous Abdul Razzaq Al Obaidly, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EIPA.

The signing ceremony was attended by Lieutenant Colonel Awadh Saleh Al Kindi, Editor-in-Chief of 999, and Adviser Dr Khalid Al Naqbi, member of the EIPA Board of Directors.

Major General Badran said the MoU aimed to put in place mechanisms of action, and enhance community awareness of intellectual property rights, especially as 999 plays an important role in information dissemination to the public.

Major General Al Obaidly stressed that the signing of the MoU was an important step towards establishing a joint action platform between EIPA and 999 Magazine, the official monthly publication of the Ministry of Interior.

The future, he said, requires a consolidation of the efforts of all institutions, government and private, with a view to promoting the objectives and progress of EIPA.

He further pointed out that the UAE was the first Arab state and one of the foremost countries at the global level in measures taken to protect intellectual property rights, including publishing copyright.

The UAE has been commended for its total commitment to international legislation in this regard. It is also a signatory to several conventions, such as the Berne Convention, the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Convention, and the World Trade Organisation’s Trips Agreement.

Lieutenant Colonel Al Kindi said the MoU was one of the outcomes in the process of developing 999 Magazine, which has the motto ‘A new vision for the police-community relationship’. Such steps, he said, created partnerships for better consolidated community work carried out by various institutions.

In the next two years, this agreement would help 999 and EIPA co-operate on fostering a stronger intellectual property rights culture in the country through events and activities, said the editor-in-chief.

EIPA Board of Directors member Al Naqbi said that within the scope of the MoU, consultancy services on intellectual property rights would be provided to individuals designated by the magazine. This would help in spreading awareness of intellectual property rights through media channels.

The designated individuals would acquire the expertise of distinguishing between original and counterfeit trademarks, and they would be invited to seminars and courses organised by EIPA.

999 Magazine has been published by the Ministry of Interior since 1971. The magazine, previously known as The Police, continued to evolve, and the title was changed to 999 in 2008.
Its contents are revamped on a regular basis, keeping in mind social and demographic changes in the UAE, and the needs of the reading public in the 21st century.

EIPA is a non-profit organisation based in Dubai, which aims to promote a clear understanding of and respect for intellectual property rights across the nation, ensuring due protection for creative endeavours and prevention of copyright violation.