Intellectual property (IP) refers to creation of mind. IP rights refer to rights afforded to persons over the creation of their minds. The creators usually have exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time.

The significance of Intellectual Property rights has increased manifold in international trade, business and other fields as emphasis shifts from tangible to intangible assets. The intangible assets in the form of patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs and geographical indications add value and competitive edge to products in a diverse global market.

Pakistan joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1977 and supports its mission for the development of a balanced and effective international IP system for the benefit of all.

Pakistan advocates for enhanced WIPO technical assistance and capacity building for developing countries tailored to their needs. Pakistan also supports striking a balance between maintaining private Intellectual Property Rights holders and public interest.

The Mission actively participates in WIPO meetings and contributes to the deliberations aimed at norm setting, promotion of technical cooperation, overcoming IP barriers for developing countries and governance matters.  

Pakistan is of the view that given the cross cutting nature of Intellectual Property (IP) and its linkages with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a holistic approach that embeds all SDGs and addresses issues of fair and affordable access to IP protected technologies or knowledge is essential.

IP regime and systems continue to evolve in response to rapid emergences of disruptive technologies. These dynamics represent unique challenges for policy formulation and enforcement especially for developing countries. Gaps in technological capacity of different regions entail implications necessitating effective development policies and building effective IP administration and governance systems.

At the national level, Pakistan continues to pursue efforts to leverage the enormous potential of IP for economic development, enhanced investment opportunities, promotion of scientific research and development, fostering an innovation and entrepreneurial culture and facilitating the integration of new technologies and supporting Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In recent years, Pakistan has reviewed and revised IP laws to better align them with international instruments. Policy direction and actions are directed at further harnessing IP potential for development through integrating and upgrading IP infrastructure for improved service delivery, increased public awareness and enhanced enforcement coordination to achieve its Intellectual Property Goals.

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