The IPO is a self-sufficient organisation and does not rely on government grants
ISLAMABAD: This is in response to Karimullah Adeni’s letter titled “IPO Offices in financial difficulties” published in this newspaper (December 13). We would like to clarify that the fee for intellectual property (IP) services that includes patents, trademarks and copyrights was last revised in June 2011, which was the first-ever revision in the fee structure after the year 2000, in which all the IP legislations of Pakistan were amended to bring them in consonance with the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement of the World Trade Organisation. IPO-Pakistan finances its annual budget from receipts collected on account of different IP services provided by the organisation. Section 13(iv) of the IPO-Pakistan Act of 2012 allows levying such charges or fees for services and facilities provided by the organisation and its constituent offices with approval of the federal government. During the last four years, there has been a considerable rise in inflation but the fee structure has remained the same. The organisation requires additional funds to upgrade its IP infrastructure and fund initiatives, human resource development, staff training, promotion of awareness about IP issues in the public and private sectors through the media and by organising seminars and workshops.
In view of the above, a proposal for revision in the fee structure for IP services is under process. The organisation has not revised the fee as claimed in the letter, but is consulting stakeholders and will give due consideration to their views before taking a decision. With regard to the other issues, we are aware of the difficulties and have taken remedial measures, including digitisation of records, automation of systems and promotion of employees. Applications filed in our Trademarks Registry and the revenues generated continually being on the rise confirm that despite resource constraints, the Trade Marks Registry and other IP offices are providing good service to their customers.
We are also planning to introduce a one-window operation by bringing all three IP offices under one roof. The IPO is a self-sufficient organisation and does not rely on government grants as claimed in the letter, and has never been in the red. The visit to Washington by the commerce minister, the secretary and the IPO director general was made to attend the TIFA Council meeting. Moreover, IP was one of the issues discussed at this meeting that focused on enhancing bilateral trade between the US and Pakistan. The US government has, in writing, appreciated the presentation made by the DG IPO-Pakistan at the TIFA Council meeting, which included a detailed strategy and action plan. Some of the actions contained in this action plan have already been implemented, including appointment of a chairman, a policy board and the establishment of IP tribunals and a copyright board. It is also unfair to term the foreign visits of IPO officers as “long distance junkets” since they are made to honour our commitment to the WIPO and other development partners and the majority of the same are not made at any cost to the public ex-chequer, being fully funded. Mr Adeni, an IP lawyer, was also nominated by the IPO to attend such an event in Geneva in 2012, which was funded by WIPO.
Meesaq Arif
Spokesman, IPO-Pakistan
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2015.
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