Transcript Helpline Trust Seminar - July 2011

Challenges of the New Frontier:
IPRs and the Internet
ALI KABIR SHAH
ALI & ASSOCIATES
The Interconnected World
Map of the internet
 The internet doubles in size every 5.3 years
Internet Is a Consumer’s Best Friend
 Allows consumers to be better informed
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Reviews of Avari Hotel on tripadvisor.com
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J from London: “In a volatile city like Karachi you need a safe haven and the Avari is certainly that.”
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M from Mumbai: “One of the oldest hotels, Avari has an old world charm.”
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O from Singapore: “Very comfortable and safe hotel in downtown Karachi.”
 Enhances accessibility
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Online shopping
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Several Pakistani e-stores are now operational
Order online and products are delivered
Payment by credit card or cash collected at time of delivery
Online Copyright Violation
 It all started with the Music
 Online piracy is a global problem
 However in Pakistan online piracy has become institutionalized
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Pakistan is perhaps the only country where many Internet
Service Providers set up servers dedicated to illegal downloads
The Internet: A Counterfeiters Dream
 E-marketplace for Pakistani goods is largely unregulated
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No certification process for websites or products
Domain name violation
 Two faced problem
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Unauthorized sale of original products
Sale of counterfeit products
 The development of the electronic marketplace has resulted in an
explosion in the sale of counterfeit products
Products include: Handbags
 Clothes
 Medicines
 Watches
 Food items
Local Crimes, Global Menace
 Interconnectivity results in criminals having global outreach
 Key cases:
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Motion Picture Association
Unregulated export of medicines – fake and genuine
LVMH
Local Crimes, Global Menace
 Pakistani Diaspora becomes a specific target
 Two way traffic: import of counterfeit goods increases
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Internet postings allow criminals to seek out manufacturers in China
 Parallel importers benefit from online marketplace
Solutions
 Policy Initiatives
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Policy should not be reactionary but formative
Enhance reach of the marketplace
Regulate the marketplace
Certification of websites selling products
 Education
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Consumers and business both need to be educated
Enablers including courier companies, online marketplace operators need to be better
informed
 Enforcement
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Strict action against small fish and big fish alike