ISLAMABAD, April 8: The government has decided to establish a body, 'Pakistan Intellectual Property Rights Organization', which will function as a single government agency responsible for protection of all forms of intellectual property rights including trademarks , copyrights and patents.

In this connection, the federal cabinet, in its meeting held on April 7, approved a draft bill which would be placed before the Parliament for enactment. The government, a source told Dawn, had been under tremendous pressure of the United States to curb piracy of trade marks/patents of pharmaceuticals, brands and other products duly registered in that country in accordance with Pakistan's commitments under the World Trade Organization's agreement called 'Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (Trips)'.

The government's decision is pertinent especially because the United States government, which had put Pakistan on its watch list with regard to Trips, is going to hold its annual review on the subject in Washington by the end of this month.

The federal cabinet, while approving the draft bill for setting up of Pakistan Intellectual Property Rights Organization, also resolved the issue as to which ministry would have the administrative control of the organization. It was decided that it would be under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division.