IPO Ordinance to be Approved Soon: Afridi

by Ahmed Rayyan

Federal Cabinet is expected to accord approval of Intellectual Property Right Ordinance 2012 soon to provide legal infrastructure for enforcement of IPR law and protection for the local and foreign investors in the country.

Chairman IPO said that IPO also intends to amend the Copy Right and Patent Laws so as to make violation of these law a a criminal act with heavy fine and possibly imprisonment for the violators, with death penalty for making counterfeit medicines.

The summery for approval of the IPO Ordinance has been submitted to the cabinet division so as to put the newly drafted law in action before the start of ID day celebrations in Pakistan.

Explaining the salient features of IPO Ordinance 2012, he said that old Ordinance was lapsed in March 2010 and there was need to not only upgrade the IP legislation but also to have a legal backing by law of the enforcement of IP initiatives.

The draft IPO Ordinance contained new provisions like creation of Intellectual Property Tribunals in the country for speedy disposal of IP violation cases. The establishment of new offices in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Baluchistan to have geographic presence in all the provinces. Establishment of 14 members Policy Board headed by Chairman IPO and having all four provincial government’s representatives with private sector representations to decide policy level issues. The draft legislation would also clearly define the role and functions of Chairman and Director General IPO so as to avoid clash of powers.

For capacity building of judicial and law enforcement agencies officials, Chairman IPO informed that a panel of 18 judges is being sent for training to Singapore for training in IPR laws. Similarly, FIA, Police and Customs Officials have been imparted training in IPR enforcement at Geneva and capacity building of journalists is also under consideration at regional level.