Kathmandu, June 13 -- The draft of the long-awaited Industrial Property Rights Bill proposes sweeping reforms aimed at curbing the rampant copying of patents, trademarks, and other industrial property rights in Nepal. The bill introduces harsh penalties, including the revocation of production licences and hefty fines, for those found guilty of infringement.

For years, opportunistic Nepali businesses have taken advantage of the brand value of internationally recognised companies. Examples of knock-off products abound: Coca-Cola competes with Club-Cola, Mountain Dew faces a suspicious rival in "Maintain Dew", and KKFC mimics the global fast-food chain KFC. Confectionery items like Centre Fruit and Centre Fillz closely resemble popular orig...