RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has revealed that they will use mystery shoppers for intellectual property compliance. This is based on Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) 2023 report released, revealing a significant increase in complaints related to intellectual property rights.

The report highlights that over 2,680 complaints were received this year, including those about trademarks and copyrights. This represents a 50 percent rise in complaints compared to previous years. Complaints about trademarks increased by 73 percent, while copyright complaints rose by 30 percent.

In response to these complaints, SAIP conducted more than 1,000 inspections across 42 cities and governorates in Saudi Arabia. They focused on commercial establishments based on complaints from copyright holders.

The report also details SAIP’s ongoing mystery shopper program, which is crucial for ensuring compliance with intellectual property laws. Mystery shoppers visited over 70 malls in 17 cities and governorates, and checked more than 6,000 websites and online stores. They made over 4,700 visits in total.

Additionally, the program led to the processing of 422 suspicious shipments. According to the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority, 60 percent of these shipments were found to be in violation of intellectual property laws. Moreover, over 3.4 million products that breached intellectual property regulations were stopped at various border crossings.

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The increase in complaints and the extensive monitoring efforts underscore Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enforcing intellectual property rights and protecting against violations such as activating mystery shoppers.