Curbing piracy: Efficient intellectual property system urged

Pakistan suffers heavily in sales tax due to piracy, say speakers.

ISLAMABAD:

Participants of a dialogue have called for an efficient and equitable intellectual property system that could help Pakistan realise intellectual property’s potential as a catalyst for development, said a press release.

They were speaking at a dialogue on “Intellectual Property (IP) Rights in Pakistan: Problems and Prospects”, organised by the Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) in collaboration with the Centre for Culture and Development (C2D) to mark the World Intellectual Property Day  here on Friday.

Research Fellow of I-SAPS Abdullah Alam said that the IP protects the interest of creators by securing them the right over their creations. He said that Pakistan was in the process of strengthening its IP regime.

He said that currently the country suffers an estimated loss of Rs20 billion per year in sales taxes due to piracy in various forms.

National College of Arts Rawalpindi campus Director Dr Nadeem Omar Tarar said that the government should enforce IP laws as a domestic issue rather than external necessity.

He urged the developed countries to support the developing states in strengthening their administrative and judicial capacity for the protection of IP rights.

Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) Director Meesaq Arif suggested that there should be an effective mechanism to enforce the laws on IP rights.

Oxford University Press IPR Manager Atif Javaid Khan said there was a great tendency to appreciate piracy by all segments of society including parents, students and publishers because they do not regard piracy as a theft.

Centre for Culture and Development (C2D) Director Adnan Wahab Khan said that software piracy was a common practice in the world and IP rights have always been neglected in emerging economies including Pakistan. He said that according to a study, about 50 per cent of the world computer users confess to have opted to piracy software. He said in local markets, there was almost no check on the sale of pirated software.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2014.