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MULTAN, Jan 18 (APP):Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) organized an awareness session on the effective use of intellectual property (IP) rights for business development.
The session was conducted online via the Zoom platform and was attended by representatives from the Vehari Chamber of Commerce, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), IPO Pakistan (Islamabad and Lahore offices), the State Bank of Pakistan and representatives of other institutions.
In his opening remarks, President MCCI, Mian Bakhtawar Tanveer Sheikh, emphasized the importance of registering business ideas, products, and services with the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) to prevent unauthorized use by others. He highlighted that the IPO Facilitation Desk was now available at the Multan Chamber, eliminating the need to travel to Islamabad for registration. He said, “Your business ideas, innovative products, and services were valuable assets and registration was inevitable for their protection. The registration ensured your ownership and provided ground for legal action in case of infringement.”
Director Enforcement at IPO Pakistan, Ismail,
addressed the session via Zoom, explaining that IPO services cover protection for a wide range of creations—from machinery to software, industrial designs, books, music albums, drama series, and films. He also stressed the significance of regional products, which could be registered as Geographical Indications (GI), providing legal protection against imitation.
Highlighting the regional context, he said southern Punjab’s hand embroidery, cultural designs, agricultural products, and livestock can now be legally protected. He added that products like Multan Blue Pottery, Sohan Halwa, Kamil Skin Products, and Chunsa Mangoes were already registered. He also noted that IPO Pakistan has received over 70,000 registration applications due to awareness initiatives and offers international trademark protection, women-friendly helplines, and online complaint systems.
In-charge of the Multan IPO Desk, Munhal Ali,
briefed participants on the registration process, complaint filing, ownership transfer, and the legal framework provided by Pakistan’s Trademark Law, SECP, and IPO Pakistan.
The session also included financial guidance from State Bank of Pakistan Assistant Director Kiran Amjad and Bank Alfalah representative Rana Masood, who explained the “Mera Ghar Mera Ashiyana” scheme.
Vice President of MCCI, Muhammad Azhar Baloch, in closing remarks, underscored that trademarks, patents, and copyrights provide legal protection, increase business value, and foster innovation, opening avenues for investment. He noted that even small and medium enterprises could access international markets through effective IP utilization.