JEDDAH: Dr. Majid Qaroub, a top intellectual-property lawyer in the region, disclosed that the Kingdom is losing SR10 billion annually due to violations of intellectual property, which include counterfeit goods, commodities and computer programs. Dr. Qaroub stressed that there is a dire need for comprehensive implementation of relevant laws. He said the Kingdom has more than 2,000 lawyers, but you can count on one hand the number that specialize in intellectual property. Dr. Qaroub called for intensifying subjects in higher education for legal specialists and attracting students to study this specialization, which encourages thinkers to develop innovations and boosts opportunities for new inventions. Dr. Qaroub said existing laws are recognized internationally, but the problem lies in the related authorities, particularly the ministries of Commerce, Culture and Information, in addition to King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, which lack financial capabilities and qualified employees. “We are still suffering from weak supervision of these legal violations,” he said. “The regulations are meant to protect both the companies and the consumers. There is also difficulty in providing sufficient proof to grant victims their rights or compensation.” In most cases, the victims are not compensated, he added. People look for what is free or cheap, due to a weak legal culture, a lack of awareness about the importance of quality and the spread of poverty, he said. Dr. Qaroub said it is important to instill the principle of respecting others' rights and the necessity to comply with them. He said all authorities must act to spread awareness about the importance of intellectual property and called for effective initiatives and public-private partnerships to develop and disseminate the culture of intellectual property and respect for the laws. Dr. Qaroub stressed that this culture would reflect positively on Saudi inventors and thinkers, and encourage them to register local patent rights and create real products that will benefit society. He confirmed that litigation in intellectual property cases is rare and attributed this to a lack of awareness among people or the laziness of victims in demanding their rights. He said if a case is registered, it is referred to the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution to demand for the public right and then the case is referred to the court on a separate track to compensate the victim for his private right. Dr. Qaroub stressed that countries should stand together in solidarity and added that the solution is in creating more awareness and imposing penalties and fines on buyers and sellers.
