Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia seeks to join many intellectual property treaties by the end of this year, said the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, on Monday while referring to the Kingdom’s joining the “Locarno Agreement” and the “Vienna Agreement early this month.

Al-Wasil also said that the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) has set up a national committee for the enforcement of intellectual property rights and worked for the creation and development of some intellectual property laws.

He affirmed that the SAIP is working to build respect for intellectual property rights, as it carried out several inspection campaigns that resulted in the monitoring of more than 1,000 websites and blocking of 230 violating sites. It has carried out inspection campaigns for more than 300 stores, resulting in the confiscation of more than 5,000 articles that violated the intellectual property rights.

Al-Wasil made the remarks in a speech he delivered on behalf of the Kingdom during the virtual meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly, which is being held at the WIPO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Al-Wasil also congratulated Darren Tang on his appointment as the director-general of the WIPO and thanked Francis Gary for the efforts he had made throughout his leadership at the WIPO, praising the organization's direction in using artificial intelligence technology in its work and services.

Saudi Arabia is being represented by the SAIP delegation headed by its CEO Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Swailem in the five-day event that got underway on Monday and will run until Sept. 25 (Friday).