IPO-Pakistan to begin one-window operation on 31st to facilitate stakeholders

Chairman Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan) Shahid Rashid, on Tuesday announced that the organisation will start one-window operation on March 31, 2017 for providing maximum facilities to the stakeholders. Addressing the conference, he stated, "IPO-Pakistan will provide one window services in Karachi for IPRs related matters. All the three registries including trademarks, patent and copyrights have been housed in a single building."
Rashid also apprised that IPO-Pakistan has already launched its new web-portal on December 29 last year: "The web-portal has enabled the public easy access for IPRs related information as well as online filing of applications relating to patent, industrial designs, copyrights and trademarks".
Giving the details about the web-portal, the Chairman said that the applicants can also check the status of their filed applications and can also file complaints regarding infringement of their IPRs. This initiative was taken to facilitate the stakeholders and to promote Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) culture in the country, he added. Shahid Rashid highlighted that IPO-Pakistan was established in 2005 and since its inception it took a number of initiatives. These include, he said, all national IP laws relating to patent, copyrights and trademarks that were updated, IPO-Pakistan Act 2012 was enacted, IP tribunals in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad were established for effective and efficient adjudication of IP disputes. He went on saying that the IPO-Pakistan has also signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and law enforcement agencies for effective IPR enforcement and co-ordination.
It was also revealed that the first ever National IP Strategy is in the final stage of consultation with stakeholders. Two sessions have already been held in Islamabad and Karachi and the final seminar is being held in Lahore on March 20, 2017. The National IP Strategy will be presented to the Cabinet for approval. As a result of improved IP management and attention to enforcement, Pakistan was removed from the US priority watch list in the year 2016.
About the awareness program, the Chairman stated that during the last year as many as 62 different events relating to IPRs were organised in major cities of Pakistan to create awareness and to provide training to stakeholders. He elaborated that IPO-Pakistan has also finalised Geographical Protection Bill after due consultation. This bill is likely to be enacted in the tenure of current parliament.
Shahid Rashid also apprised the media about the forthcoming visit of the delegation of State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of China on March 21-22 this year. It is expected that a MoU will also be signed between IPO-Pakistan and SIPO-China during the said visit to enhance cooperation for the promotion of IPRs in both the brotherly countries. He also announced that World IP day will be celebrated in Pakistan on April 26.This year IP Day theme would be "Innovations-improving lives".