Abu Dhabi seizes counterfeit goods worth US$1.1m

More than 24,000 counterfeit products were seized in Abu Dhabi last year with a street value of AED4m (US$1.1m), following inspections at more than 124,000 companies, shops and malls, official WAM news agency reported. The inspections, which were carried out by the Department of Economic Development (DED), were part of a government-led scheme to clamp down on fake goods and safeguard intellectual property owners. Hundreds of violations were discovered in the wake of the crackdown, with 8435 fines levied on offenders, according to WAM. As part of the initiative to reduce sales of fake products, the DED also held workshops in February and November last year to help consumers distinguish between original products and counterfeit ones. Mahmoud Al Balushi, director of DED's consumer protection division, said the unit received 2,181 complaints from consumers in 2011, which were mostly about rising prices and counterfeit products. The majority of complaints were filed at times of peak demand such as Ramadan, the start of the academic year and government holidays.