27 Universities, Institutes Linked To World Intellectual Property Community: Federal Minister For Commerce And Textile, Muhammad Pervaiz Malik

As many as twenty-seven universities and research institutes in Pakistan have been linked to the world intellectual property community under the Technology Innovation Support Centers (TISCs), Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile, Muhammad Pervaiz Malik said on Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Apr, 2018 ) :As many as twenty-seven universities and research institutes in Pakistan have been linked to the world intellectual property community under the Technology Innovation Support Centers (TISCs), Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile, Muhammad Pervaiz Malik said on Tuesday.

The TISCs programme was launched with an active support of Higher Education Commission (HEC) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to engage a large number of students and entrepreneurs, particularly female, to register their intellectual property creations with Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) Pakistan, he said.

The minister was addressing a seminar in connection with the World Intellectual Property Day, organized by Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) Pakistan. The theme of this year's World IP Day was "Powering Change: Women in innovation and creativity".

He stressed the need for development of socio-economic growth through innovation and creativity, adding that Intellectual IPO Pakistan was motivating students and entrepreneurs to translate their ideas into products and services.

"Innovations and creativity have not only become major drivers of socio-economic growth but are also considered essential tools for development of any society," he said. He urged private sector entrepreneurs to make the registration of intellectual property a vital feature of their businesses.

The minister urged for taking benefit from women's intelligence and aesthetics by engaging them in different fields of everyday activities, adding that 2018's theme of the day was an acknowledgement and gratitude to this fact.

He also highlighted the importance of providing equal opportunities to all genders for utilizing their skills, knowledge and expertise in the areas of science, technology, arts, medicine, services and international trade and expressed confidence that it was the only way for achieving a healthy and robust growth of not only economy but society as well.

Later talking to media, the minister said Pakistan was a secure place for investment for foreign companies, adding that efforts were underway to eliminate piracy in IT field. He said that a comprehensive tariff policy was being devised with the help of stakeholders, adding that Ministry would be determining give tariff which would be implemented by Federal board of Revenue (FBR).

He said that services and productive sectors would be given preference in the upcoming budget. Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Capt (retd) Javed Abid, Additional Secretary (Trade Policy) symbolized empowering of women with empowering of societies and said that this empowerment ultimately led to development and prosperity of societies.

He said IPO Pakistan was putting up great efforts for engaging institutional stakeholders in creating awareness about IP rights and expanded its enforcement coordination mechanism to encourage IP rights holder to register their IPRs.

On the occasion, Director General IPO Pakistan, Muhammad Irfan Tarar said that during a short span of time, the IPO Pakistan has achieved milestone achievements including streamlining of IP system, intensified IPR awareness campaign and establishment of TISCs in universities and upgraded IP laws.

Reviving of automation project, e-filing, e-payment and e-search for IP applications will be initiated shortly, he added. On the occasion, education expert and other speakers also highlighted different aspects of IP rights, particularly innovation and women role in this regard.

Among others, Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University, Prof. Dr. Samina Amin Qadir, Vice Chancellor Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design, Hina Tayyaba Khalil, President Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lahore, Falahat Imran and prominat film writer Ejaz Gul also spoke on the occasion.