“IPO-Pakistan to accede for PCT within two years”

ISLAMABAD: A consultative session on Accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the proposed amendments in the Patent Ordinance, 2000 was held at the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan) headquarters, a press release by the Organisation said on Monday.

The session was chaired by IPO Pakistan Director General Shazia Adnan, who vowed that IPO-Pakistan would accede to PCT within two years. She said that this will enable IPO to strengthen the IP and commercialisation in the country.

She apprised the participants that a timeline would be adopted to finalise the PCT and urged all the stakeholders to join hands with IPO-Pakistan for completing this task in a befitting manner. The participants were asked for their active participation in the process in the minimum time, which will ultimately benefit them and promote IPRs in the country.

She also highlighted the importance of capacity building in the field of patents and asked the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to provide training opportunities to the stakeholders.

While discussing the proposed amendments in the Patent Ordinance, 2000, she asked the participants and other stakeholders to give their valuable inputs in writing so as to finalise the proposed amendments which will be submitted in the parliament for their final approval.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director Patents Ghulam Mujtaba briefed the participants about the proposed amendments in the Patent Ordinance, 2000. He discussed at length about the administrative and technical amendments and sought response and inputs from the stakeholders.

The participants took keen interest in the consultative session and asked many questions regarding the proposed amendments.

The consultative session was attended by the senior management of IPO-Pakistan and representatives from Ministry of Commerce, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), PPMA, PCSIR, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), Quaid-e-Azam University, International Islamic University Islamabad, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Arid Agriculture University, Aga Khan University, NUST, Air University and Bahria University and also different departments. – PRESS RELEASE