IPO-Pakistan, LCCI agree to promote intellectual property awareness

LAHORE: Chairperson IPO-Pakistan, Ambassador Farukh Amil (R) visited Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to meet with the President LCCI, Abuzar Shad and the senior leadership of LCCI, Ali Hussam Asghar, Chairman PBG and Senior Vice President LCCI Shahid Nazir Chaudhary.

President LCCI and his team welcomed the chairperson and senior officers from IPO. Abuzar Shad stated the importance of intellectual property (IP) for businesses and commended the role of IPO Pakistan. He further applauded the forthcoming role of chairperson IPO in placing IPO Pakistan on the national map by a vigorous awareness campaign led by the Chairperson himself.

Ali Hussam Asghar, Chairman of PBG and a leading rice exporter, acknowledged the role of IP in exports especially rice and profoundly appreciated the role of chairperson IPO in understanding the issues of the business community and their importance as the relevant stakeholders of IPO Pakistan.

The Chairperson IPO acknowledged the valuable contribution of LCCI to the national economy and to the protection of the interests of the business community. He further highlighted the importance of Agri-Tech in the current business eco-system and the need for the related businesses and trade bodies to register their IPs especially Geographical Indications (GI) before exporting. The chairperson stated that registering IPs especially GI, raised the value of a product by over 20%. The president LCCI agreed to hold special seminars with the agri exporters for raising their awareness regarding IP Rights. The chairperson IPO stressed the need to cultivate a culture of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for transforming Pakistan from a consumer nation into an innovation creator nation. With reference to WIPO's International Treaty on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (GRATK) he highlighted its benefits for Research and Product Development (R&PD) in Pakistan. He underscored that there was the need to protect Pakistan’s Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge by proper mapping of these indigenous resources.

The LCCI leadership reiterated the importance of IPRs and the dynamic role of IPO-Pakistan and it was decided to initiate a programme of regular awareness sessions for all the public and private sector stakeholders to be held under the auspices of both LCCI and IPO Pakistan. Muhammad Ismail and Ghulam Mujtaba from IPO Islamabad while Mr. Mueed Aman Rana, Shakra Khurshid and Anjum Raza Bokhari from IPO Lahore office were also present in the meeting.

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