LAHORE, April 5: The government should evolve a national consensus before ratifying the Madrid System of International Registration on Trade Mark (MSIRTM).

This was demanded by Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Dr Khalid J. Chaudhry and vice-president Yawar Irfan Khan here on Friday.

In a press release, the two business leaders said the government must take into account the pros and cons of the Madrid System and consult local intellectual property rights (IPRs) experts, lawyers, and leading trade bodies before taking a decision on the issue. They said none of the regional countries had ratified the document because it carried numerous difficulties and disadvantages.

“The same is the case with Pakistan. Therefore, we should follow the suit. The present capabilities, drawbacks, and workload under which the Pakistan Trademarks Registry was working do not even cater to the existing requirements and causing considerable delays for the grant of rights to the applicants. If Pakistan signs the MSIRTM, it would further bog down the working of the Trade Marks Registry, resulting huge delays and difficulties that the country hardly affords at this time,” they said.