At present, Nepal Copyright Registrar´s Office (NCRO) under MoCTCA and Intellectual Property section under the Department of Industry (DoI) have been overseeing the intellectual property issues.[break]
The Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) document of 2010 envisages formation of an integrated body to look after intellectual property issues for promoting Nepali products in the international market by 2012.
The intellectual property includes copyrights, trademark, and patent and design rights. Though an inter-ministerial coordination committee led by MoI and prepared draft of some policies and conducted organization and management (O&M) survey, the process hit a roadblock after MoCTCA pulled out, saying that it was not consulted properly. Since then, the ministry has been maintaining that it would keep Nepal Copyright Registrar´s Office as a separate entity.
The office is looking after copyright issues of any creative work of literature, art, phonogram productions and broadcastings. Similarly, the section under the DoI has been dealing with the issue of trademark and patent and design rights.
Officials of both the ministries have been blaming each other for the deadlock. MoCTCA officials say the DoI didn´t consult it while devising policy and conducting O&M survey for the integrated office. “We can´t close Nepal Copyright Registrar´s Office as unless we become convinced that the new office will deal with the intangible cultural heritages as per UNESCO´s convention,” Bharat Mani Subedi, joint-secretary of MoCTCA, said.
However, Yam Kumari Khatiwada, spokesperson for MoI and also the leader of the coordination committee, said the ministry will initiate preparatory tasks for the integrated office soon.
Talking to Republica, Ram Sharan Chimoriya, director of DoI, said it is high time the country protected intellectual property of domestic products. “Our products are losing competitiveness in the international markets following our accession to the World Trade Organization,” he added. “It is unfortunate that general public and innovators are unaware of patent rights in our country.”
NTIS -- the government´s blueprint for export promotion - has identified 19 Nepalis products that have competitive advantage for export in the international market.
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