IPO-Pakistan needs to shift gear

In a globalised world, Intellectual Property (IP) rights have assumed greater significance. The IP rights include patents, copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs, integrated circuits, genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore.
In 1994, the World Trade Organization (WTO) entered into an agreement with member nations on Trade-related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), to set down minimum standards for many forms of IP regulations. The scope of the agreement was modified in 2001.
To arrest Pakistans deteriorating IP rights record, the government of Pakistan established in 2005 the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) Pakistan as a focal organisation for managing the IP related issues and coordinating with various enforcement agencies.
Its been six years since its launch, yet IPO-Pakistan hasn been able to kick off its programme in a massive way. It is disturbing to note that Pakistans record and image in protecting and promoting IP rights has not improved much. Even if some progress has been made, it has not been highlighted enough to create more public and business awareness.
As per the IP related statistics released in 2010 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - a specialized United Nations agency promoting the protection of IP rights throughout the world - Pakistans IP scene is dominated by registrations of IP rights by foreign entities.
As the table shows, the applications for IP rights from local businesses or persons are lower than foreign entities, and approvals or registrations are even lower. This makes a clear case for creating awareness, among Pakistani businesses in particular and public in general, for IP related laws and regulations.
Talking to BR Research, the spokesperson for IPO-Pakistan mentioned an elaborate IP rights awareness campaign in the works. The media department has been created recently at the organisation to undertake proactive measures to enhance knowledge about IP rights and inform the public and businesses about the potential benefits of registration with IPO-Pakistan.
He highlighted lectures and seminars at various universities, engagement with the corporate sector, launch of training courses, and extensive media coverage as some avenues of outreach in this regard.
It is obvious from the WIPO figures that local businesses and the general public have very little knowledge of IP rights. Very few people know that registering their intellectual property with IPO-Pakistan provides them with a global protection from
IP rights infringement. Registration fee is a one time cost, as low as Rs1,000 - 2,000.
IPO-Pakistan needs to target small and medium businesses directly as they are the engines of growth provided a fair and level-playing field is created for them. Moreover, online IP rights registration is another area they should work on to facilitate businesses. Rigorous enforcement and protection of IP rights will improve business sentiment and also encourage foreign investment in Pakistan.

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Intellectual Property rights registration in Pakistan (2008)

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                                      Applications              Approvals/ Registrations

                       Total    Resident   Non-Resident     Total  Resident Non-Resident

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Patents               1,545         170         1,375        233          11         222

Trademarks           14,872      10,186         4,686      8,165       3,191       4,974

Industrial Designs      576         378           198        382         236         146

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Source: WIPO indicators, 2010