By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : Over 24,000 counterfeit products were seized last year by the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Aiming to protect consumers and owners of trademarks and trade agencies, officials made 124,000 field visits in Abu Dhabi in 2011 to inspect shops, companies and malls.
According to the 2011 Annual Report of the Commercial Protection Department, 8,435 fines were slapped on offenders.
Among the violations, 815 business owners failed to display licenses in their offices.
A total of 189 offenders had closed cabins and dark places, or intentionally obscured vision in cafes and restaurants, or had tinted glass that failed to provide sufficient light.
The report said 1,926 offenders were fined for putting up posters, 1,007 for hanging out banners without license and 283 for storing goods outside shops.
A total of 287 offenders were fined for using external spaces without license, 235 for writing down the phrase “Sold items are non-refundable” in the invoice or inside the shops and 275 for failing to distinctly display prices of items.