Overview and Objectives

The Association for the Protection of Industrial Property in the Middle East and North Africa (APPIMAF) was founded in Beirut, Lebanon in 1973. Since its foundation, APPIMAF has played and continues to play an important role in advocating industrial property rights protection in the Arab countries thereby contributing to the economic advancement as well as to the transfer and development of technology in these countries. APPIMAF has grown many folds and currently boasts a multi-disciplinary membership base comprised of attorneys, judges, university professors and experts in the field of industrial property.

APPIMAF’s main objectives are as follows:

1. To propagate the topics relating to the protection of industrial / intellectual property rights (inventions, trademarks, service marks, designs and models, trade names, copyright, unfair competition, counterfeiting and imitation, etc.) in Arab countries and to compare them with those available outside the Arab world.

2. To study the present legislation as it affects the topics mentioned in para 1, and compare them, with a view to improving and harmonizing them.

3. To promote international conventions relating to industrial property, especially widening the scope of the Paris Convention of March 20, 1883 with amendments, and to cooperate with other associations and international organizations sharing the same objectives.

4. To disseminate information, liaise with other associations and organize seminars, in order to promote and improve the concept of industrial / intellectual property rights.

5. To encourage inventors and authors in the region covered by the Association, to help them market their works, inventions and compositions as well as to create and administer a special fund with the specific aim of offering prizes to national inventors and authors from within the area.

6. APPIMAF is a non-profit organization using its income only in pursuance of its aims and objectives. 

Operational Committee

A number of operational committees have been founded to carry out  APPIMAF’s core objectives. On average, full meetings of these committees are held at least monthly although there are often additional ad hoc meetings arranged to debate matters of immediate importance and interest. Highlights of the committees and their duties are as follows:

1.      Executive Committee:

The Executive Committee is comprised of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary General, a Reporter, and a Treasurer, as well as five other members. The Executive Committee is entrusted to ensure the smooth flow of APPIMAF’s operations and activities. The Committee convenes on a monthly basis in order to conduct sound and updated evaluations.

Following are the names of the members elected to office for a period of three years, ending December 2012:

Kamal Berti	President	Ghaida' Ala' Eddine	Member
Tawfic Salem	Vice President	Ekram Al-Haq Baker	Member
Ramzi Tarazi	Secretary General	Hatim Mohamedain	Member
Fadi Sarkis	Reporter	Nader Qumsieh	Member
Hisham Zahr	Treasurer	Sarah Hachaichi	Member

 

2.      Admissions Sub-Committee:

The Admissions Sub-Committee reviews membership application forms, authorizes new membership policies and procedures, identifies potential members, their needs, and how to meet those needs.

3.      Newsletter Sub-Committee:

The Newsletter Sub-Committee oversees the publication of the APPIMAF Newsletter.

4.      Public Relations Sub-Committee:

The Public Relations Sub-Committee represents the Association to the community and enhances the Association’s image and public awareness, including communications with the press.

Future Outlook

Over the coming years, APPIMAF will focus internally – developing its standards, expanding its limits, and making wide structural improvements. While it will continue advancing the Association, APPIMAF will also work on its next strategic plan, focusing on the bigger picture of how intellectual property is one of the primary drivers of economic growth for the Arab nations. World leaders are talking about intellectual property because of its significant importance in expanding the world’s economy. That is why it is critical that APPIMAF continually improves and evolves in order to foster the growth and protection of the Arab nation’s valuable intellectual property resources.