Dominican Republic is ratified as head of Customs group for the Americas
Dominican Today, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic is ratified as head of Customs group for the Americas
20 June 2007
SANTO DOMINGO.- Dominican Republic was ratified as country president of the Intellectual Property Work Group for the American Hemisphere, in recognition of the Customs Agency’s (DGA) work in copyrights, as the DR-CAFTA trade agreement and international treaties stipulate.
Customs Intellectual Property director Carlos Atiles said the decision was made in the 10th Meeting of Customs Directors of the Americas recently held in Paraguay, in which Customs chiefs and representatives from the 33 countries present voted for the DGA.
He said among the work group’s immediate tasks is to force the application of Customs norms on intellectual property, homogenous procedures in the region and to promote inter-institutional collaboration to bolster cooperation and information exchange.
Atiles said the marketing of bogus and bootleg merchandise in the region has expanded until becoming a global problem, and that the money is sometimes used to support terrorist acts and attacks against the security of the State. He said the private sector actively participates against the marketing of false products in the region.
The official said the organism has advanced in Intellectual Property, as shown with the creation of guidelines and procedures to meet the commitments to protect brands and copyrights, established in the DR-CAFTA, the World Customs Organization and the OMC.
Eduardo Rodriguez, Customs assistant director for Operations, representing Customs director Miguel Cocco in the meeting.
