DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has confiscated over 3,300 fake CDs in a surprise raid conducted in an outlet located in the Old Airport area as part of efforts to enforcing intellectual property laws and regulations.
A statement released today said the inspectors from the Intellectual Property Protection Department at the ministry fined the outlet for selling fake and copied CDs, and some 3379 CDs were detected, and the shop was fined for violating the Law No. 7 of the year 2002oncopyright and the related rights which, in a number of its articles, states on punitive measures such as fines and confiscation.
However, it did not provide further details about the amount of fine and other information related to the outlet in question.
The ministry has called on consumers to make sure that the outlet is an agent licensed to sell these items or the items are within the scope of its commercial activity before purchasing the item.
“Consumers are requested to ask the shop to confirm the item specifications in the purchase invoice, since it is hard to verify whether the compact items are authentic or fake with the normal eye when purchasing,” said the statement.
This surprise raid comes within the framework of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers, monitor markets, and ensure that outlets abide by intellectual property rights protection laws.
The ministry warned violators, saying it will be strict with them and will refer them to the concerned entities in order to have proper penalties as per the law.
Customers have been urged to report any violation related to intellectual property rights through the following communication channels: hotline: 16000; email: [email protected]; and social media accounts:Twitter: @MEC_Qatar; Instagram: MEC_Qatar.
The Peninsula
