Intellectual Properties (IPs) are intellectual assets that are intangible such as knowledge, creativity and inventiveness. Intellectual property in its essence is that information which has economic value when put into use in the marketplace. The rationale of protection also rests on the premise that both forms of assets (tangible & intangible) have potential of wealth creation. IPs generally falls into two categories; industrial property and copyrights. The rights of inventions, industrial designs, trademarks, integrated circuits and geographical indication are protected under industrial property while the copyrights include literary work such as novels, poems, plays, films and also artistic works etc. Details on each of the commonly recognized IPs are provided in the following link:

Industrial property and copyrights
1. Patents
It is an exclusive right granted for an invention that may be a product or a process which provides a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent owner has the right to prevent others from professionally making, using, offering for sale, selling or importing without his authorization the patented product and, where the subject matter of the patent is a process, the owner also has the said right in respect of the product directly obtained by that process, e.g, new improved process for making a cloth or a new medicine or a machinery, etc. For details on registration procedure, kindly download this document Patent Registration Procedure

2. Trademarks
(Logos, Business Name, Geographical Indication, Textile Marks, Service Marks, Collective Marks, Certificate Marks)

It is a distinctive sign which identifies certain goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks may be words, letters, numerals, drawings, symbols, three-dimensional signs, or a combination of any of these. A trademark owner has the right to prevent others from using without his authorization in the course of trade identical or similar signs where such use would result in the likelihood of confusion. Also under the trademark law, Geographical Indications, Collective Marks, Certificate Marks and Service Marks are protected, e.g. Dawnbread. For more details on registration procedure, download this document Trademarks Registration

3. Copyrights
It describes rights given to creators for their literary and artistic works. Related rights are rights granted to writers, poets, performing artists, producers of sound recordings and broadcasting Organizations etc. Computer programmes and compilation of data are also protected under the same. Copyright protection generally lasts for at least 50 years after the creator's death. Related rights typically last for 50 years after the performance took place or the recording was made or published and the broadcast took place. The original creators of a work protected by copyright, and their heirs, can prevent others without their authorisation from its reproduction in various forms, such as printed publication, sound recording or computer storage etc. For example a novel, a software, or a music composition by singer are copyrightable. For more details on registration procedure, download this document Copyrights Registration Procedure

4. Industrial design
It is the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of a mass-produced article of industry and handicraft. The design may consist of three-dimensional features, such as the shape or surface of an article, or of two-dimensional features, such as patterns, lines or colour. The owner of an industrial design has the right to prevent others from making, selling or importing for commercial purposes articles bearing or embodying a design which is a copy, or substantially a copy, of the protected design. For example design of the car, furniture item or simple jewelry item.

5. Trade secrets and traditional knowledge
These are also two other forms of IPRs. The former gives protection to any confidential business information that provides an enterprise a competitive edge. It may be sales methods, marketing strategy, innovative manufacturing process, lists of suppliers or new products and services e.g., recipe of a meal cooked in a restaurant. The latter is related to tradition-based innovations and creations and also genetic resources of a particular area e.g., our traditional herbal treatments at home.

SMEDA assistance for IP management
a) IP Helpline:
SMEDA ‘IP Helpline’ assist SMEs on all forms of IPs including trademarks, patent, copyrights and industrial designs. SMEs may contact following 5 SMEDA representatives for solving their queries on IP matters:

b) Training Programs:
Keeping in view the information needs of SMEs, during 2007-08, SMEDA conducted eight (8) IP awareness programs across Pakistan in collaboration with local chamber of commerce and industry, IPO Pakistan and Trade Association. Furthermore, a workshop on Franchising was organized in collaboration with WIPO at LCCI during December 2007. Likewise, IP awareness programs are planned for 2008-09 especially for small trade bodies in different regions for wider outreach.

c) Intellectual Property for Business Series Publication:
Currently, SMEDA with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO’s) assistance is drafting the national adapted version of books published under Intellectual Property for Business Series. These five guides explain basic IP issues in relation to the practical business concerns of SMEs in a simple, business-friendly language.

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