Geographical Indications (GIs) have been used as effective economic tool by a number of countries in the world and they have gained significant financial benefits through use of their GIs and effective marketing at national and international level said Nabeel Javed Additional Secretary IC&I on Thursday.
He was delivering his welcome address at awareness seminar on "Identification of Geographical Indications of Punjab", which jointly organised by Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI), Industries Commerce & Investment Department, IPO Pakistan, PSIC.
Since the introduction of WTO regime, protection of intellectual Property rights ie, trade mark, copyrights, patent designs, geographical indications etc, for development of genuine business and documentation of economy has got prominence in the developed as well as developing countries.
He said that such seminars are being organised to facilitate business community for registration of their Trademarks, Patents, Copyright and other related IP rights. He said that Pakistan is a rich country as far as GIs are concerned. The common man are well aware of commercial value of kinno, Mango and Sohan Halwa of Multan, Basmati rice, Sindhi Ajrak, Balochi Sajji, Peshawari Chappal, and many other GIs of Pakistan: medicinal value of Neem, peppermint, Desi Kheera and many other herbs and shrubs of northern and southern areas of our country.
Although we are proud of our history and culture but unfortunately we have neither preserved nor exploited our GIs commercially at international level like other countries of the world. The main objective of this awareness and training programme is to explore ways and means for protection of GIs and their promotion and commercialisation as intangible assets of Pakistan at national and international level, President of Basmati grower association Hamid Malhi, Major Tariq Khan (Retd) of Multan Mango Growers Association, Muhammad Ismail of IPO. Shaikh Muhammad Siddique of WTO, Abdul Rehman Naqqash, Rabia Shehzad, Wajiha Irfan, Khawaja Muhammad Hussain Senior Vice President and Khawaja Muhammad Usman also addressed.
Sheikh Muhammad Siddique underlined the need for training and capacity building activities for the stakeholders especially for partners of enforcement agencies so that they could be able to implement the relevant laws and procedures accordingly. He said socio-economic development is directly linked with the opening of economic avenues and we can attract local as well as foreign investment by giving protection of IP rights in the country.
Hamid Malhi informed the participants that a special emphasis was being laid on expansion of training facilities and with the co-operation of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) special foreign training programmes for stakeholders are also being implemented. Similarly, the automation of IP Registries is also in progress and landmark of digitise publication of Trademark Journal has been achieved which helped to accelerate the process of Trade Marks registration.
He said that besides in-house capacity building and infrastructure development IP facilitation desks are also being set up in the offices of partner organisations. He said that IPO-Pakistan has start awareness programmes with pubic private partnership to motivate the owners of Trademarks and Patents to get their intellectual rights registered and avail the benefits of legal business ownerships.
He asked the business community to join hands with IPO-Pakistan for making efforts to flourish legal business practices in Pakistan and expanding employment opportunities. The MCCI former President Shahid Naseem Khokhar said that there could be no second opinion to this fact that the Intellectual Property (IP) is critical for competitive economy in the backdrop of ongoing globalisation.
The new concept of IP based nation is gaining ground because it is Intellectual Property which enables technology creation and technology transfer by providing the necessary enabling environment. He said, 'we should promote our local products like mangoes, blue pottery, camel skin work, camel bone work, Sohan Halwa at national and international level for economic benefit of artisans, skilful workers, innovators, farmers, growers and small industrialists. A lot of agricultural and non-agricultural products of this area at national level and all over the world because of their uniqueness, quality, and good repute.