The Department of Inspection and Consumer Protection at the Ministry of Economy and Trade organized a scientific symposium in Tripoli last Thursday entitled “Legal Protection of Trademarks” in the presence of the Undersecretary for Free Zone Affairs, Nouri Al-Gatati.
Copyright protection through awareness and guidance campaigns
In an exclusive interview with Libya Herald, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Free Zone Affairs, Nouri Al-Gatati, said that protecting trademarks is a very important task and an issue that includes rights that cannot be violated by stealing, forging, or tampering.
Therefore, he continued, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, through the Department of Inspection and Consumer Protection, achieves its goals in preserving the rights of the trademark owner as well as the consumer in the areas of combating commercial fraud and legal standardization through awareness and guidance campaigns in cooperation with the competent regulatory authorities, civil society institutions and civil society organizations.
Al-Gatati pointed out the Ministry of Economy’s interest in protecting intellectual property and trademarks in Libya and the legal protection of trademarks, as the symposium comes within the framework of strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights, and emphasizing the importance of coordination between the legislative, executive, supervisory and regulatory authorities in protecting the consumer from commercial fraud.
Al-Gatati noted the importance of completing the executive regulations for Chapter Ten regarding trademarks of Law No. 23 of 2010 regarding commercial activity and harmonizing the relevant authorities to combat and reduce cases of commercial fraud. He highlighted the necessity of adhering to all precautionary and preventive measures that must be taken by the Customs Authority, the Municipal Guard, the Food and Drug Control Centre and consumer protection associations to help detect cases of counterfeiting, commercial fraud, and tampering with foreign and local trademarks.
The event was also attended by the Director of the Department of Inspection and Consumer Protection, Marai Al-Darsi, and the two Undersecretaries for Public Order, South and North Tripoli, and Director of the Tripoli Customs Directorate.
