Dubai Judicial Institute holds joint workshop with US Department of Justice
International and local experts discuss best judicial solutions for intellectual property and money laundering crimes
UAE – Dubai Judicial Institute (DJI), in partnership with the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) of the U.S. Department of Justice, held a special joint workshop designed to raise more awareness on intellectual property and money laundering crimes today (13 April) at the Raffles Hotel in Dubai. Also being held in cooperation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the two-day workshop will bring together the judicial and legal leaders from UAE and USA to exchange experiences and review international best practices of anti-money laundering and protection of intellectual property rights.
Judge Dr. Jamal Hussein Al Sumaiti, Director General, DJI, focused on the importance of disseminating the culture of intellectual property protection and anti-money laundering compliance and increasing the public awareness of economic, social and cultural influences of these types of crimes–which result in losses amounting to billions of dollars annually. He emphasized the need for concerted efforts to fight against organized financial crime and protect intellectual property around the world by creating and updating relevant laws, regulatory frameworks and adopting stricter judicial and penal procedures.
Al Sumaiti also shared the UAE’s current efforts to support the international anti-money laundering procedures, which includes the enforcement of a new set of laws and legislation that have been designed to protect intellectual property. He also cited the country’s continuing participation in many international treaties and agreements focused on patents, trademarks, industrial designs and the development of national procedures to help address cyber crimes and the protection of intellectual works and copyright.
He added, “The DJI places top priority in the move to promote the country’s legal and judicial system–bridging the gap between knowledge and professionalism by developing legal professionals who are proficient with the latest international knowledge and best practices in order to create a sound legal environment that can fight various crimes. Today’s workshop is an ideal platform to the local legal judiciary members to be aware of the most important experiences and procedures followed in the United States in dealing with money laundering and intellectual property crimes. We look forward to make best use of this opportunity and using it properly for the development of national actions in this area.”
The workshop is expected to attract the participation of representatives from the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies, United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Bureau of National Investigation along with a group of international experts and specialists in the field of cyber and intellectual property crimes.
Participants will discuss several topics about intellectual property crimes, copyright infringement and violation of trademark laws in the UAE and the implementation of anti-money laundering laws. The event also aims at sharing best solutions being used in the US to investigate and prosecute intellectual property crimes. The agenda of the first day covered a series of panel discussions where participants emphasized on the importance of concerted efforts in exchanging information, cooperation and practical experiences to reduce money laundering and intellectual property crimes, which is one of the most common crimes in the world.
The workshop, which will continue until Tuesday, April 14, 2015, will cover extensive discussions on US legal methods and procedures that have been effectively used to battle intellectual property violations and money laundering crimes.
