Speakers laid emphasis on awareness raising campaign along with enforcing the relevant laws properly to protect intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the country.
There are so many examples of piracy and violation of the IPRs in the country mainly due to lack of awareness, they observed.
The demand for launching awareness raising campaign was raised in a roundtable discussion on "Structured Enforcement Approach in the Private Sector on the Enforcement of IP Rights in Bangladesh".
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Department of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks jointly organised the programme in the city Monday. Industries Minister Dilip Barua inaugurated the opening session.
"Protection of the IPRs has become a great challenge in the whole world due to globalisation and technological development," the minister said.
Many Least Developed Countries (LDCs) including Bangladesh are facing serious constraints in achieving the international IPRs standard set for regional and multilateral levels by the WIPO and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), he added.
"I believe that awareness is the precondition for enforcement of any law and legal right," Mr Barua said adding that the people are not so well-conversant with the IP laws and rules.
He also emphasised for amendment to old laws by enacting some new ones in a bid to protect the IPRs.
Participants of the discussion said the desired goal only could be achieved after a fruitful campaign through mass media against the impact of violating law and IP rights.
They said quality industrialisation is facing hurdles as low quality products are being produced violating copy rights and patents.
Stakeholders and common consumers should have a clear perception on intellectual property, they said suggesting mass awareness programme and enforcement of the existing laws through public-private partnership.
Additional Secretary of Industries Ministry and IPR Project Director ABM Khorshed Alam, WIPO Director Louise Van Greunen, representatives of Unilever Bangladesh Limited, Intellectual Pro-perty Association, Feder-ation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, Bangladesh Computer Samity, Bangladesh Asso-ciation of Software and Information Services, among others, also spoke, in the programme.
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