IPO-Pakistan urged to streamline copyright registration process

The artist community has demanded Intellectual Property Organization (IPO-Pakistan) to streamline the Copyright registration process and bring it in line with the needs of the modern times.

The demand came during a workshop held by IPO-Pakistan which is a part of Chairman IPO's Outreach Programme on Copyright the other day.

Mujeeb Ahmed Khan, Chairman, IPO-Pakistan chaired the session. Meesaq Arif, Executive Director IPO, Syed Nasrullah, Registrar Copyrights, Muhammad Rafique, Registrar Trademarks, Dr Muhammad Fayyaz, Controller of Patents along with a large number of representatives from the artist community including, Sajid Hassan, Hina Khawaja, Zinnia Sheikh, Ayesha binte Rashid, Angeline Malik and others attended the workshop.

Addressing the workshop, Mujeeb Ahmed Khan said that IPO-Pakistan was aggressively going through a process of putting the whole process online to make the registration process easier for the stakeholders. As far as the standardized contract system is concerned, the chairman apprised that IPO is also facilitating formation of Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) which will have purview to design standardized and fair contracts.

The chairman demanded the artist community to join IPO-Pakistan's hands to make this outreach programme a successful by propagating the concept of copyright on social media and among their community. He was of the view that with the concerted joint effort awareness could reach at the lowest level for which they supported wholeheartedly.

The artist community referred to neighbouring countries which brought drastic changes in their copyright laws, upon which the chairman apprised them that IPO-Pakistan was already going through the process of amending the copyright laws and the current exercise is also a part of that effort. He said that ultimate mission is to enlighten and empower the artist community by equipping them about their rights.

The artist community appreciated the step taken by IPO-Pakistan and termed it an opportunity from which the whole community would become beneficiary. They assured their active participation and representation in this outreach programme.