The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) Sector in Dubai Economy is adopting a new technology based on artificial intelligence (AI) to fight counterfeiting in Dubai. Developed by the US company ‘Entrupy,’ the new technology will help detect counterfeit goods sold across shops in Dubai. The new technology is being adopted in line with the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to integrate artificial intelligence in the pursuit of excellence across government services and as part of the strategic objective of Dubai Economy to enhance competitiveness and sustainability through protecting the rights of consumers and trademark owners.

Entrupy’s AI-based device is linked to a vast database comprising thousands of microscopic images of branded goods, particularly leather products, watches and accessories as well as clothing. The company will add more branded products to its interface in co-ordination with Dubai Economy by the last quarter of 2019.

Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, CEO of CCCP, said Dubai Economy will be the first government entity in the UAE and the region to adopt AI solutions to fight counterfeiting. “The new technology helps to increase the accuracy in confiscations and save time and effort during field inspections, thereby enhancing happiness and productivity among our employees.”

Lootah added that the new solution is a qualitative addition to the AI technology adopted in 2018 to protect and empower consumers Dubai to the satisfaction of businesses and consumers.

With the new device the inspector can detect counterfeit goods with high speed and accuracy thereby eliminating time-consuming communication and verification with trademark representatives. With the vast number of consumer goods being sold in Dubai, CCCP inspectors had to be trained periodically in association with trademark owners on identifying counterfeit goods. In some cases, the confiscated goods had to go to the regional or global offices of the trademark owners for laboratory tests for verification.  Sometimes the test may show that the product is original but the while process would have taken a fortnight or up to two months.

“We seek to regulate the relationship between the merchant and consumer as it is important to Dubai’s reputation as a business hub,” said Lootah. “The new technology will make brand owners more confident of their rights being protected in Dubai and provide them with a fast and simple alternative in case they had registered their products here by conventional means. They can now use the tech solution to feed data and images relating to their product electronically.”

Lootah stressed that Dubai Economy will not tolerate any kind of commercial fraud and called on consumers to report any such activity that may come to their attention by calling 600 54 5555 or on the Dubai Consumer app available on Android and iOS.