“Counterfeiting isn't a victimless shortcut — it's a tax on every business that plays by the rules.”
A survey of member companies by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), launched in May 2026 during a visit by IPO-Pakistan's Director General, estimates IP violations cost the country Rs. 860 billion a year in lost revenue and taxes, across eight sectors from consumer goods to pharmaceuticals.
Rs. 860 billion is a striking figure on its own. What's more useful is what it implies about who actually bears that cost.
Every counterfeit sale is a sale a legitimate manufacturer didn't make, tax revenue the exchequer didn't collect, and a signal to foreign investors that brand protection here is harder than it should be.
For companies operating in Pakistan, the practical response isn't complicated, even if it's underused: register early, register broadly, and treat registration as a cost-saving measure rather than a compliance formality.
Numbers like Rs. 860 billion tend to get attention once and then fade. The underlying enforcement gap doesn't fade on its own.
Source: Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), IPR Survey 2025 (released May 2026)