‘Intellectual property is the greatest strength of any artiste’

Intellectual property is the greatest strength of any artiste or musician — though many are unaware of it, Ahmed Zawar, Pakistan repertoire associate director at Sony Music Entertainment, said on Thursday.

“A song, for all its creativity, is widely discussed, but the rights it entails and the opportunities it can offer — whether in revenue or recognition — stem largely from the rights associated with the piece. Everyone talks about creativity, but intellectual property rights are often ignored.”

Zawar was participating in a panel discussion at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa), where Ali & Associates Advocates & Legal Consultants were celebrating World Intellectual Property Day 2025. Legendary singer Mohammed Ali Shyhaki was also honoured with a tribute and award at the event.

The theme of the programme was ‘IP and Music: Feel the Beat of IP’. The event highlighted the vital role of intellectual property in fostering musical creativity, safeguarding the rights of artistes and preserving cultural heritage through music.

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind — such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images used in commerce. Intellectual property laws provide creators and inventors with legal protection for their work, encouraging them to invest time, effort and resources into developing new ideas, technologies, products and artistic creations. This protection fosters a culture of innovation that drives economic growth and societal progress.

Kashan Admani, founder and CEO of Dream Station Productions, said that intellectual property is the most integral part of any art. “It’s the backbone of any creative work. It can create multiple streams of revenue for artistes.”

Admani stressed that intellectual property gives artistes the power to leverage their work in ways that benefit them over the long term. He also pointed out that intellectual property rights are generally misunderstood in Pakistan.

Award-winning film-maker, musician and academic Babar Sheikh provided an insightful breakdown of intellectual property for the audience. He said that intellectual property rights are fundamentally about empowerment.

“This is a creative form of empowerment — having an intellectual property right,” Sheikh said, adding that greater awareness of these rights can significantly benefit artistes. However, he cautioned, there is a flip side to this in Pakistan, where artistes’ rights are frequently subjugated.

In the film industry especially, he said, intellectual property rights become even more complex. “You speak to someone, and then see your idea playing on a television channel. That is a spiritual violation for a creator.”

Karimullah Adeni, managing partner at Ali & Associates, noted that World Intellectual Property Day has been celebrated since 2001. He said that this year’s event powerfully underscores the deep and meaningful connections between music and intellectual property.