The market of Nepal is now flooded with fake brands. Consumers are confused when they don't recognize it, because the trend of selling products in similar packaging with the same name as 'Chilcola' like 'Coca-Cola', 'Red Blue' like 'Red Bull', 'Rite' like 'Sprite', and 'Nau Bajje' is similar to rice.

Stealing such names, layouts and logos is not just a business ploy, it is a serious intellectual property theft, the impact of which is neither understood by the government nor prevented by law.

On the one hand these fake brands are cheating the consumers and on the other hand the entrepreneurs, who have brought the original product to the market with their hard work and investment, are getting frustrated and discouraged. Since 2068, 1,893 trademark related complaints have been filed with the government's industry department, but only 293 of them have been heard and resolved. The rest of the complaints have been sitting on file for years. This slow and irresponsible behavior has raised serious questions about the government's responsibility to protect intellectual property.

A trademark is not just a name, it is a business's integrity, identity and brand value. Consumers trust the quality of goods by looking at the brand. But when substandard counterfeit goods are sold under similar names and packages, consumers are cheated and the efforts of the original entrepreneur are devalued. The government's silence to prevent such theft is like giving protection to thieves.

Therefore, the government should enact strict laws and effective enforcement to prevent such commercial theft and attacks on intellectual property. The Industries Department should set up a special court for speedy hearings. Provision should be made not only for fines but also imprisonment for those who sell, produce or register fake brands. Liability should also be assigned to employees who are negligent in intellectual property infringement.