LAHORE: The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) has expressed serious concern over the proposed amendment to Section 30(3) of the Patents Ordinance 2000, and urged the government to consult stakeholders immediately before approving the proposal.

In a letter to the commerce secretary, the OICCI said the amendment seeks to remove the clause allowing patent holders to take legal action against parties that perform acts likely to lead to patent infringement.

It warned that removing this provision could weaken patent enforcement by preventing companies from acting against early steps towards infringement, such as marketing authorisation for generic versions of patented medicines, before the patent expires.

The chamber cautioned that such a change could undermine Pakistan’s international intellectual property commitments, reduce protection for innovation, discourage foreign investment, and potentially affect the availability of patented, research-based medicines in the country, while also creating inconsistencies within Pakistan’s broader IP legal framework.

According to the letter, the proposed amendment seeks to remove the words “or who performs acts which make it likely that infringement will occur”. “We therefore request confirmation of whether this omission is indeed intended. If so, it would represent a serious breach of Pakistan’s international obligations concerning the protection of Intellectual Property Rights,” the letter added.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2026