Muscat, March 15 2015 – OABC and the Embassy of the United States (US) in Muscat recently organized a panel discussion on ‘Protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Oman’. The conference welcomed over 50 company representatives, alongside Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES), to discuss the fundamentals of IPR and how to protect the diverse array of products and services that comprise intellectual property.
The panel engaged representatives from a variety of sectors, featuring guests from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The event was hosted by Bahwan Cybertek, an information technology provider based at Bahwan International Institute of Technology.
OABC Board Director, Emmee Haun, said. “We are delighted to have supported the panel once again this year as many of our Members have a keen interest in topics relating to IPR and overcoming the associated risks. In addition to last year’s turnout of local businesses, government representatives and other corporations, we felt that it was an imperative to introduce our SME Members this year, as they too require information on Oman’s intellectual property laws and the different means of protecting their products and services”.
Opening the discussion, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Muscat, Paul Malik, commented: “There is no debate that intellectual property is the cornerstone of a knowledge-based economy, or that protecting intellectual property rights, or intangible property, is essential in ensuring the continuity of foreign direct investment within the Omani economy”.
Intellectual Property Rights Attaché for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Aisha Salem, moderated the panel discussion and spoke on implementing best practices, based on her experience within the MENA region and United States of America. The panelists and company representatives in attendance delivered a number of recommendations for IPR enforcement in Oman, which was handed to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry during the event.