The Bangladesh Copyright and IP Forum (BCIPF) and several cultural affairs organisations have demanded the Copyrights office be kept under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
They made the demand yesterday afternoon in a press conference at the Sagar-Runi auditorium of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity in the capital.
Recently, a proposal to shift the Copyright office from the aforementioned ministry to the Department of Patent, Design and Trademark under the Industry ministry was placed before the government.
“But we demand the office be kept under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as before,” speakers insisted.
They also urged the government not to pay heed to the proposal.
University Press Limited Managing Director Mohiuddin Ahmed said: “For long has the copyright been considered an important matter for any creative and cultural work. The Copyright office has been conducted under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs for a long time.
He also said: “If the Copyright office is shifted to the Industry Ministry, it would destroy the creative and cultural works and productions.
“Songs, literary works, cinema and films, paintings, photography, along with other creative and cultural works, are much interconnected with the Copyright office and copyright law. For this reason, the Copyright office should be conducted under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs,” he added.
BCIPF founder and Chief Executive Barrister ABM Hamidul Misbah said: “Most nations run their Copyrights office under the Ministry of Cultural affairs.