Report: ANI :
GUJRANWALA –The Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan) has established an Intellectual Property Facilitation Desk at the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to help local businesses protect their trademarks, patents and industrial designs.
The initiative was launched alongside an intellectual property awareness programme organised in collaboration with the All Pakistan Aluminium Utensils Manufacturers Association (APAUMA), aimed at promoting innovation and strengthening the competitiveness of local manufacturers.
Director General IPO-Pakistan Nauman Aslam Sheikh inaugurated the Facilitation Desk during his visit to Gujranwala. He was accompanied by Mueed Aman Rana, Director/In-charge of IPO-Pakistan’s Lahore Regional Office, and Shakra Khursheed, Senior Examiner (Patents), along with other officials.
Addressing the business community, Nauman Aslam Sheikh said intellectual property protection was essential for safeguarding business interests, encouraging innovation and enhancing the commercial value of Pakistani products.
He said the organisation had significantly reduced the backlog of trademark applications over the past year, bringing the registration period down from approximately two years to around eight months. He also highlighted plans to introduce an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to facilitate the timely settlement of intellectual property disputes.
The GCCI event was attended by Chamber President Ghulam Hussain Judge, Senior Vice President Arshad Mughal, Vice President Rana Muhammad Farhan Asghar, former President Mian Umer Saleem, former GDA Chairman Aamir Rehman, former Vice President and Executive Member Waqas Afzal Mughal, and representatives of local industries.
In a separate session with APAUMA, IPO-Pakistan officials briefed manufacturers on trademark registration, brand protection, patents and industrial designs, highlighting their importance in protecting products, innovations and business identity.
The initiatives are part of IPO-Pakistan’s efforts to expand access to intellectual property services, strengthen cooperation with trade bodies and support innovation and industrial growth across the country.
