LAHORE: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has asked Pakistan and other under-developed countries to increase the fine and period of imprisonment for violators of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). The WTO had given a grace period of five years to signatory under-developed economies of South Asia including Pakistan to implement IPRs, which expired in 2007 but no concrete steps were taken on the issue.
The News has learnt that the organisation has asked Pakistan that being a signatory to the WTO agreement it should increase the penalty amount to Rs0.5 million from Rs0.2 million and imprisonment period to three years for the violators of IPRs. However, the government has not complied with the instructions of the WTO. Unawareness, low GDP growth and lack of education about IPRs are the basic reasons for non-implementation of the guidelines in the country. A mass awareness programme on IPR is needed in the country, says Majid Basheer, consultant of Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) Pakistan. The chambers of commerce and industry, trade bodies and academia must launch training programmes and special courses on the IPR in order to avoid any restrictions from the WTO on Pakistan, he added.
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