Dubai Customs conducted 133 seizures of goods worth up to Dh72.584 million ($19.76 million) in the first half of 2017, which were found to have infringed intellectual property rights (IPR), said a report.

Dubai Customs has firmly acted against IPR infringements to protect the society and the economy from counterfeit goods, and to support a competitive investment environment in Dubai by enabling producers to avoid losses arising from brand imitations, reported WAM, the Emirates official news agency.

The seized goods included electronic items, watches, glasses, clothing, fabrics, perfumes and cosmetics, as well as medicines and medical equipment, tyres, auto spare parts, telephones and accessories, and computers and other imports, it added.

Yousef Ozair Mubarak, director of IPR Department, said that the intellectual property rights protection gains importance in the evolution of our national economy in the current stage, particularly with the UAE focussing on unleashing the spirit of creativity and innovation in government work and in society at large.