ISLAMABAD - Intellectual Property Organization has launched a program to develop linkages with business organizations in the country including small and medium enterprises (SME’s) with the objective to provide the required facilities to business community for registration of their IP rights nearest to their respective locations.
This was stated by Chairman Intellectual Property Organization (IPO-Pakistan) and Member National Assembly, Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi while addressing to the participants of “Awareness Seminar” conducted for field officers Regional Business Centers SMEDA, women entrepreneurs, representatives of Chamber of Commerce & Industry and faculty members from academia.
Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi said that protection of National IP assets and their promotion at international level is key objective of IPO Pakistan. He said that in order to facilitate SME sector stakeholders, IPO-Pakistan has taken initiative to establish IP “Facilitation Desks” at different business cities of Pakistan to extend cooperation towards IP right owners for protections of  Intellectual Property Rights at their doorsteps. The Chairman said that collaborated efforts are required to join hands for the development of the country.
The Director General IPO-Pakistan Sajjad Ahmad Bhutta addressing the participants said that promotion of IP rights protection among the SME sector of Pakistan is one of the core objectives of IPO Pakistan’s Public Outreach programme. Keeping in view this objective, IPO Pakistan has signed an agreement with SMEDA and both the organizations have initiated joint activities for promotion of IP rights among small and medium enterprises. He said that coordination between public-private sector is essential for economic development of Pakistan.
CEO SMEDA Yousuf Naseem Khokhar said that SME sector of Pakistan covers more than 90 percent industry and playing vital role for the emerging new enterprises for economic development. He said that IP Facilitation Desks at the Regional Centers of SMEDA would provide all sort of information to the applicants of trademarks and other IP rights. He laid emphasis on promotion of mutual cooperation for mobilizing all available resources to develop a strategy for protection of IP rights.