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ISLAMABAD:
The federal government has decided to intensify efforts
to enforce the protection of intellectual property rights
(IPRs) across the country, said a government statement
issued here Wednesday.
The
decision was taken in a high level meeting held here Wednesday
chaired by Humayun Akhtar Khan, the commerce minister.
The meeting was held to review the enforcement measures
being taken by various government agencies for protection
of intellectual property rights, the statement said.
The
secretaries of commerce, interior and revenue division,
representatives of chief secretary Punjab also attended
the meeting.
Mr
Khan informed the meeting that if the level of IPR protection
were weak, it would discourage creativity and innovation
among Pakistanis, who are endowed with tremendous mental
and intellectual capabilities.
The
other disadvantage was that inadequate IPR protection served
to inhibit foreign investors from making large scale and
long-term investments in Pakistan, particularly in the
industrial sector.
After
reviewing the current state of IPRs enforcement in the
country, the meeting decided to intensify enforcement efforts
immediately so that there was no doubt regarding the high
priority the government attaches to the protection of these
rights. Representatives of the law enforcement agencies
attending the meeting, were asked in the first instance
to focus on action against counterfeit products, especially
pirated optical media like CDs, VCDs, DVDs and CD-Roms.
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