Taking notice of piracy and counterfeiting of food items as well as pharmaceuticals, Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) of Pakistan Director General (DG) Sajjad Ahmad Bhutta on Wednesday said the issue would be tackled on a priority basis and members of enforcement agencies should act according to the law to apprehend the culprits involved in the matter.
He cited the example of film and music industry, which had collapsed because of piracy and counterfeiting across the country. Bhutta said this while presiding over a meeting of the Enforcement Committee held at IPO headquarters. The DG stressed the need for effective coordination among all enforcement agencies for a prompt action against the crimes related to intellectual property, saying special training courses would be held for the officers of enforcement agencies with the assistance of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) so that they could be updated about the laws and their proper implementation. Similar procedure would also be followed in the academies of law enforcement agencies so that the process could be continued for creating a new IP culture in the country, he said, adding that special training modules had been developed for the purpose. Pointing out the inferior quality products being produced while using the registered trade marks at the cost of genuine entrepreneurs, he called the situation alarming, saying it were the people who had been affected by the unhealthy practice. The participants of the meeting gave their suggestions for proper and strict implementation of laws in connection with implementation of IP rights.
