Fourteen thousand counterfeit construction tools have been found in the UAE, after a warehouse and shop of an unknown trader was raided in Sharjah in the second week of Janurary.
The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) seized the goods, including levels, snip cutters, chisels and measuring tapes from a distributor of fake Stanley products.
The raid follows several others in 2009 which uncovered a number of truck and auto parts, bearing brand names for which they have no right.
Rami Abdallah, consultant for Saba and Company, a law firm specialised in registration maintenance and prosecution of all types of intellectual property rights said: “The Stanley Works Company is one of our long standing clients and they have been actively engaged in taking steps to secure their rights in all their trademarks including their famous trademark Stanley, which is used mainly on products relating to construction work.”
“Stanley Works Company became aware of the said distributor through information revealed during one of our regular market surveys during which the markets are scanned for traders dealing with suspected counterfeit Stanley products.”
The Stanley Works Company, in cooperation with Saba, has been looking out for traders that sell counterfeits in MENA for some time and several raids have been carried out as a result.
After the latest raid, the DED took the decision to fine the trader and destroy all the seized goods. Some say the AED 5,000 fine for being caught selling fakes is too lenient.