Intellectual Property Rights to be safeguarded under WTO

Planning and Development Chairman Sibtain Fazal-e-Haleem has said the Trips Agreement would encourage foreign companies and business establishments to make investment in Pakistan because their rights would be fully safeguarded.
He was addressing a seminar on 'Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) Agreement and Its impact on Pakistan' arranged by world trade organisation (WTO) Cell of Planning and Development Department held at the University Law College here on Wednesday.
Representatives from various law firms, lawyers, law students and people from different walks of life attended the seminar.
"Pakistan would take full advantage of the intellectual property rights. Since the world is converting into a global village it has become necessary to lay down certain conditions," Haleem added.
Pakistan Intellectual Property Rights Organisation Director General Yasin Tahir in his keynote address said the Trips Agreement would be beneficial for our country and through it we would be entering into a new era of development. He suggested we should be vigilant about the rights protected under the Trips and if necessary, get our product, thought, idea or invention registered.
Planning and Development Department advisor on WTO Inamul Haq said there was great need of creating awareness about Trips, which would also help them to avoid any bad experience. He suggested the issue of intellectual property rights must not be tackled by a single agency of the government.
Law College Principal Dr Dil Muhammad Malik in his address appreciated the government for taking along the stakeholders in that regard. He said Planning and Development has earmarked Rs 25 million for establishing library on that particular subject at the Law College. Similarly, a local law firm has also donated Rs 20 million for establishing intellectual property center for which initial work has been completed.
Consultant WTO, P&D Department Majid Ali Wajid in his presentation threw light on different aspects covered under intellectual property rights. In order to address fully the requirements of Trips, there was a need to train our judiciary, lawyers, and police, custom staff and other stakeholders in an efficient way, he added.
Minfal Director General Dr Akhlaq Hussain in his presentation elaborated different points of the proposed law on plant breeders' rights and said that it took 10 to 12 years for developing a new variety of any plant and therefore it was necessary to protect the owners' rights.
Irfan and Irfan Attorney at Law Director Hussain Irfan, in his presentation, stressed the government to control production of fake medicines, eatables and other products because it deprived the purchasers on one hand and the owner of the original firm or establishment on the other.