We have recently revised our laws governing Intellectual Property Rights (Trade Marks, Patents, Copyrights, Integrated circuits layout and industrial designs). Violation of intellectual property rights acts as a deterrent to foreign investment, causes considerable leakage of revenue, and is a disincentive for creative work. We are determined to ensure better protection of Intellectual Property Rights. We have also noticed that certain provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) overlap with those of the Trade Marks Ordinance (TMO) but are not consistent with each other. For instance, PPC does not provide for minimum punishment but TMO does; the offences under the relevant PPC sections are cognizable while under the TMO they are not. In order to remove uncertainty and ensure better enforcement it is proposed to bring about consistency between the two laws. Necessary ordinances are being submitted for Cabinet’s consideration.

While we have vastly improved upon our legal framework we have done nothing to upgrade our institutional arrangements for expeditious and effective processing of Intellectual Property cases. Quite frankly, the working of our copyright, trademark and patent offices is unsatisfactory and desperately calls for a major revamp. We are accordingly setting up a Pakistan Intellectual Property Rights Organization (PIPRO) that will service all the intellectual property rights requirements under one organization. This will be a self-financing and autonomous organization manned by professionally qualified persons. Necessary infrastructure in keeping with contemporary requirements shall be provided.”

The news item appearing in national Daily DAWN
Govt to set up PIPRO

ISLAMABAD, July 22: The government has decided to set up a Pakistan Intellectual Property Rights Organization (PIPRO) to provide all the intellectual property rights requirements under one organization. This will be a self-financing and an autonomous organization manned by professionally qualified persons, says Trade Policy 2002-03 issued on Monday. Under this organization, necessary infrastructure in keeping with contemporary requirements will be provided. The report says that the working of our copyright, trademark and patent offices were unsatisfactory and desperately called for a major revamping. The government is also considering removing uncertainty to bring about consistency between the laws relating to intellectual property rights and Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Recently, the government has revised laws governing intellectual property rights-trade, marks, patents, copyrights, integrated circuits layout and industrial designs. According to the report, violation of intellectual property rights acts as a deterrent to foreign investment, causes considerable leakage of revenue and was a disincentive for creative work. "We are determined to ensure better protection of intellectual property rights. We have also noticed that certain provisions of the PPC overlap with those of the Trade Marks Ordinance (TMO) but were not consistent with each other," said the report. Explaining further, the report says, PPC did not provide for minimum punishment but TMO did; the offences under the relevant PPC sections were cognizable while under the TMO they were not.