The main purpose of IP rights is to encourage more innovation and creativity by making sure those inventors and creators get a fair reward for their work and can earn a living from it and to protect the goodwill that is vested in brands. IP rights allow right-holders to stop other people from copying or using their IP without their permission which means that right-holders are able to charge a price for using IP. Thus the prospects of an economic reward encourage people and businesses to invest in developing innovations, creations and branded products. In the sports industry, the key players are manufacturers of sports equipment, organizers of sports events, sports federations, athletes, teams, broadcasters and other media platforms, who require protection of their IP rights.
Sports have become a multi-billion dollars global industry which generates investment in facilities and employees millions of people around the world. Business relationships built on IP rights help to secure the economic value of sports which, in turn, stimulate growth of the industry by enabling sports organizations to finance such events. The sports industry and businesses use patents and designs to foster development of new sports technologies, materials and equipment to help improve athletic performance and engage fans worldwide. Similarly, trademarks and branding maximize commercial revenue from sponsorship, merchandising and licensing agreements. In turn, these revenues offset the cost of organizing world class events, such as Olympic Games and World Cup series, etc., and ensure that the value and integrity of these events are safeguarded. This year's campaign is thus an opportunity to celebrate our sporting heroes and all the people around the world who are innovating behind the scenes to boost sport's performance and its global appeal.
Pakistan joined World Intellectual Property Organization in 1977 and the theme of the year is very pertinent for us as we have a flourishing sports goods industry, which has acquired an imperative place in international trade and supplying sports goods to almost every country of the world, directly or indirectly, which receive worldwide recognition because of their superb quality. The product range includes soccer balls, volleyballs, rugby balls, beach balls, cricket balls, hockey balls, tennis balls, shuttlecocks, nets, sports gloves of all kinds, hockey sticks, cricket bats, baseball bats, protective guards, pads, judo-karate suits and all other kinds of sportswear. These products are made for world's renowned brands which enhance the credibility of Sialkot as an internationally-acknowledged quality manufacturing and exporting centre.
Sialkot has also become famous for supplying finest quality footballs for all mega events for a long time. When millions of football lovers cheered on their favorite teams in 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia last summer, Pakistanis had a special reason to rejoice (because of its footballs) although Pakistan's football team did not participate in this mega event.
Pakistan exported sports goods worth $332.516 million during last financial year which were higher by 7.38% from the previous fiscal year. These quality sports goods have kept Pakistan's identity upfront. Around 400,000 plus people are engaged directly or indirectly with export businesses. It enables trade and industry to flourish and create employment which reduces poverty. However, counterfeiting and piracy have a negative impact on this industry as well, which pose a major threat to innovation and economic growth, both at local and global levels. Such malpractices also facilitate an underground economy that deprives government of revenues for vital public services and exposing consumers to dangerous products. Therefore, government efforts to strengthen IP enforcement regime be considered as investment that pays tangible dividends to economic development.
The theme of World IP Day - 2019, is, therefore, very pertinent for Pakistan, as we have a thriving sports industry, which requires protection of its IP rights. It is, therefore, recommended that a comprehensive national level strategy document be prepared by IPO Pakistan for sports goods industry and its allied stakeholders for protection of their IP rights. This document should have a holistic approach including law enforcement agencies like Police and Customs. Assistance in this regard may also be sought from WIPO to disseminate cognizance about international agreements and their implications on sports goods industry. Similarly, there is an urgent need of creating awareness on the subject for which both public and private sector should play their role for conducting an effective campaign on electronic and print media, with the help of renowned Olympians and other popular sports celebrities of Pakistan.
(The writer is a former Collector of Customs and can be reached at [email protected])