As globalization continues to make the world an ever smaller place, the downside of ongoing technological development has also spread. The global economy is suffering from trade in counterfeit products to the tune of an estimated $780 billion per year, around 10 percent of the total world trade exchange, and the problem is affecting nearly all product sectors. The UAE government is continuing its efforts to fight against the trade in counterfeit products, to ensure intellectual property protection, and stop commercial fraud, copyright infringement, piracy and trademark violations in the local market, in a bid to maintain its integrity and global reputation and gain the trust of producers, traders and consumers. According to the UAE's Commercial Fraud Law, any convicted case of fraud is punishable by a maximum sentence of up to three years' detention, or a fine of up to AED20,000. Khalid Saif, director of the Commercial Control and Protection Department at the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), said “Sharjah has been playing a vital role in fighting commercial fraud. The SEDD's Commercial Control and Protection Department seeks to find a mechanism to control the serial cases of commercial fraud and counterfeit goods and to fight trademark forgery, commercial fraud, infringement of intellectual property rights, and piracy. We have launched over 30 inspection campaigns in the first half of 2009 alone.” “As a result of these campaigns, our inspectors have seized, confiscated and destroyed approximately 40,000 counterfeit goods, including compact discs, films, computers, plastic products, mobile phones and accessories, perfumes, car batteries and items of men's clothing,” he added. He said the SEDD's Commercial Control and Protection Department has many ways to identify and remove fake goods from the market, including price variation between genuine and counterfeit goods, and the method of labeling and packaging.
