'India open to discuss IPR issues at international level'

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Saurabh Gupta | 30 Nov, 2013
India is modernizing and amending Intellectual property rights (IPR) laws to meet international standards and so it is open to discuss issues related to IPR at the international level and suggested that an international congress can be organized with the help of European Patent Office (EPO), Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Dr. E M S Natchiappan Friday said in New Delhi.

India has initiated the process of modernizing and amending its IPR laws, patent and trademarks act to meet the international standards. Interactive patent websites have been designed, which are customer friendly and are online.

"However, there is still a long way to go and India looks towards the EU for expert guidance as it has a well established patent system," said Dr. Natchiappan, while speaking at the 'Indo-European Conference on the Role of the Patent System in Fostering Innovation and Technology Transfer' jointly organized by FICCI, European Patent Office (EPO) and European Business and Technology Centre in association with Intellectual Property Office of India (IP India).

He added that awareness programmes have been set in motion to attract young population to the system who can lend vigor and provide their innovative ideas to enhance IPR protection.

Pavel Svitil, Minister Counsellor, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union to India, said that the EU has come out with a single patent litigation system applicable to the EU unitary patent, which is expected to reduce the costs of litigation and the risk of different rulings on the same dispute and will prove beneficial to India as well. It would be possible to file a single patent application to be valid in all participating member states (i.e. the unitary patent), which will be managed by the European Patent Office, where the working languages are English, French and German.

"It has been recognized world over that a strong IP system is necessary to foster innovation. The two most critical aspects of patent are spreading awareness and building capacity for dealing with a huge number of patent applications, filing and related issues," said Poul V Jensen, Director, European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC).

Also, technology transfer will take place only when there a robust IP regime to facilitate and protect it, he added.

Thomas Duholm, Deputy Director, Policy & Legal Affairs, Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO), said that the objective of DKPTO is to be the centre for strategic information, and to protect the rights of both techniques and business marks. Policy initiation and international cooperation is needed to protect IPR.

He pointed out that research and innovation is encouraged when the IP laws are in place.

Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, said that FICCI has been actively working in the area of intellectual property with an aim to facilitate the Indian Government, with close cooperation of industry, in building enabling environment where innovations are fostered and nurtured.

FICCI has set up an 'Anti-Piracy Coordination Cell' with the support of MHRD and 'Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy - CASCADE' to spread awareness about the perils of IP crimes and work with the government and industry to implement measures which can go a long way in their redressal.

FICCI has adopted multi pronged strategy which ranges from youth sensitization to hand holding innovators in protecting their IPRs and working with the Government to frame enabling IP policies to sensitizing enforcement officials on importance of IPR, said Jyoti Vij, Deputy Secretary General, FICCI.