BIPAA calls for modernisation of trademark registry office

At a press conference in the city yesterday, they also urged the government to modernise copyright office (CO) with latest technologies for proper functioning.

BIPAA organised the press conference to mark the World Intellectual Property Day today.

In a written statement, Advocate Gazi Md Niamat Hossain, former general secretary of BIPAA, said the Patent and Design Act 1911 and Trademark Act 1940, which were reformed in 2003, are not up-to-date for the present time.

After the reforms one official is operating the two offices which clearly shows that these are not functioning properly, he added.

Niamat said the government has made reforms in land survey and land registration procedures and modernised all sub-registry offices, but so far no initiative has been taken to make reforms in the TRO since independence.

He said local and foreign companies submitted around 1,25,000 applications for trademark registration to TRO since independence. Of them, only 35 thousand applications have been approved.

Niamat said it is very regretting that after finishing all registration process these applicants are not getting registration certificates.

Advocate Zahirul Islam said there is no sufficient staffs in TRO and most of the staffs lack enough experience to handle the office smoothly.