Registration Of IPs Vital To Compete Economic Challenges

A comprehensive awareness campaign to own Intellectual Properties (IPs) is imperative to augment the number of registered Trademarks (TMs), Copy Rights (CRs) and Patents to help boost country's economy and discourage fake businesses for a standard working environment.

ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Dec, 2018 ) :A comprehensive awareness campaign to own Intellectual Properties (IPs) is imperative to augment the number of registered Trademarks (TMs), Copy Rights (CRs) and Patents to help boost country's economy and discourage fake businesses for a standard working environment.

This was stated by Chairman Intellectual Property Organization-Pakistan (IPO-Pak), Mujeeb Ahmed Khan in a Panel Interview with Associated Press of Pakistan here Tuesday.

He said "A country's socio-economic development can be gauged through total number of its registered Trademarks and Copy Rights which are directly proportion to creativity and innovation." He regretted that Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) were being neglected since long for certain reasons in the country adding that the IPO was registering just 14,000 applicants for TMs and 3,900 CRs per year till last year which showed that industry, academia, students and emerging entrepreneurs were lacking coordination and knowledge about IPRs.

He said "The figure now touches to 40,000 for TMs, 9,300 for CRs a response received due to the encouragement by IPO to Local business community to patent their ideas." He, however, admitted it was still lagging behind in comparison with the International brands.

He said Pakistan was the only country in its region which did not sign Madrid Protocol and other international conventions pertaining to IPRs.

The IPO-Pak, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), was going to organize first ever International Trademark Conference from December 5-7 in Islamabad which the chairman believed would provide an opportunity to persuade the signatories of the protocol to help Pakistan to be its part as a global partner.

The conference to be attended by WIPO experts, international consultants and heads of trademark offices from over 10 countries was also aimed at increasing awareness regarding trademark examiner competencies considering the size, capacity, examination policy and practices of the office, he added.

He said that in the coming few months, IPO-Pakistan would be entering in some major international treaties as well as agreements within the country would enable the organization to establish close linkage with its stakeholders especially academia and Chambers of Commerce.

The organization was about to ink a Memorandum of Understanding with Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan and other business related government institutions to avoid the duplication of TRs, CRs, Patents and Industrial designs, he informed.

To a question about IPR awareness, Mujeeb said that a comprehensive media strategy had been prepared to ensure maximum awareness among general masses, saying the media would certainly play crucial role for the purpose.

He also urged the media for joining hands with the IPO to reach every potential client for sensitizing them about protection of their IPs.

For enforcement, he said they had set up 10 supra committees at provincial level comprising of Provincial chief secretaries, Federal Investigation Agency, Custom and other ancillary departments to ensure the protection of rights.

He said there were three IP tribunals functioning in the country and the IPO-Pak had proposed for two more special courts for quick disposal of the pending cases.

The Chairman said they were also mulling to introduce royalty packagefor artists including actors, musicians, singers and lyricist asproviding by other countries.