September 04, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 21, 1428

HYDERABAD, Sept 3: Speakers at a workshop on Monday stressed that the law graduates, judges and lawyers must learn about the World Trade Organisation and Intellectual Property Rights as the ability of industries and business enterprises to benefit fully from this rule-based system depended on their knowledge and understanding of the rules.

The workshop, attended by large number of lawyers, was organised by UNDP-Pakistan in collaboration with the International Islamic University Islamabad and Hyderabad District Bar Association.

The speakers said that the management of international trade and industrial laws was increasingly becoming more and more rule-based and complex because of globalisation.

Consequently, the trade and industrial sectors of Pakistan were undergoing radical change under WTO, they said and added that the ability of industries and business enterprise to fully benefit from this rule based system depended on their knowledge of understanding of detailed rules.

In consequence of this and in consideration of other measures such as nationalisation and reform of custom tariff, duty rates, implications of intellectual property rights local industries and business were exposed to foreign competition, they said.

They said that intellectual property was increasingly being recognised the world over as an important asset and driving force behind technological innovation and progress.

There was an increasing recognition that intellectual property system provided balance of interests between creators of new technology and its users, they stressed.

Therefore, protection for IPR was required during the process of technology development, its transfer, and exports for capturing new markets and the areas covered by IPR were copyrights, trade marks, service marks, geographical indication, industrial design, patents and trade secrets, they added.

Bashir Ghuman, coordinator of program, Nazir Ahmed Saleemi, ex-deputy chief of Planning Commission of Pakistan and Majid Bashir, deputy director (judicial) Ministry of Information Islamabad delivered lectures.—PPI