IP in Pakistan
Information to help you protect, manage and enforce your intellectual property (IP) rights in Pakistan.
This page provides practical information to help you make the most of your IP when doing business in Pakistan.
If you plan to do business in Pakistan, or if you are already trading there, it is essential to know how to manage and enforce your IP as private property rights.
The Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan) is the body responsible for operating the patent, industrial design, trade mark and copyright system in Pakistan.
Trade marks
The Pakistan trade mark system is similar to the UK’s. Trade marks protect symbols, colours or other devices used to identify a business’ products or services. A trade mark is valid for 10 years, then may be renewed indefinitely for further 10-year periods.
To protect a trade mark in Pakistan you can:
- Apply direct to IPO-Pakistan.
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- Make an international trade mark application and select Pakistan as a designated country. More information on international trade marks can be found on protecting your trade mark abroad page.
Good to know
IPO-Pakistan provides detailed guidelines and FAQs for trade mark applications on their website.
Patents
Like in the UK, patents for inventions can be protected for up to 20 years in Pakistan. All patent rights in Pakistan are subject to the payment of annual renewal fees, commencing 5 years after they’ve been filed. As in the UK, there is no provision for utility model patents in Pakistan.
To protect your innovation with a patent in Pakistan you must file an application directly to IPO-Pakistan.
Pakistan is not a Contracting State of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, so it is not possible to file a patent through this route.
Good to know
Like the UK, Pakistan operates a ‘first to file’ principle. If more than one person applies for a patent on an identical invention, the first to file the application will be awarded the patent. As in the UK, there is no provision for utility model patents in Pakistan.
IPO-Pakistan provides detailed guidelines and FAQs for patent filing on their website.
Designs
In Pakistan, design protection initially lasts for 10 years and can be extended for another two 10-year periods i.e. protection can last for a maximum of 30 years.
To protect the appearance of your product with a design right in Pakistan you must file an application directly to IPO-Pakistan.
Pakistan is not party to the international Hague system for search and registration of industrial designs, so it is not possible to file a patent through this route.
Good to know
Multiple design applications are not permitted in Pakistan.
Copyright
The Pakistan copyright framework provides all of the basic protections required by international law. Copyright owners do get automatic protection through Pakistani law.
Copyright in Pakistan protects works that are original and expressed in a tangible form, for example, recorded on tape or written down.
The length of protection varies lasts for 50 years counted from 1 January of the year following the author’s death.
Good to know
It is recommended that copyrighted work is filed (known as ‘copyright recordal’) at IPO-Pakistan for a fee. Copyright recordal is voluntary but helps to provide evidence of copyright ownership before a court or relevant enforcement authority.
IPO-Pakistan provides detailed guidelines and FAQs for copyright on their website.
Enforcing your rights
IP rights are infringed when others make use of your IP rights in an unauthorised way. In case of infringement, you can enforce your IP rights through an action in the civil court or through criminal prosecution. Injunctions are civil remedies for infringement of IP. Injunctions are court orders to make an infringer stop the infringing act.
Pakistan has established specialist IP Tribunals to adjudicate IP disputes. Tribunals are currently operational in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Appeals from IP Tribunals lie with the High Court of each province.
More information
Visit the Department for Business and Trade page for more information about exporting to Pakistan.
The British High Commission in Islamabad supports UK businesses in Pakistan.