On April 25, 2024 CIIPC-IPR Chair at National Law University Delhi, Intellectual Property Office – UK, and Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks organized a Roundtable Discussion to mark the World Intellectual Property Day, 2024 at National Law University Delhi. The discussion was focused on this year’s World IP day theme ‘IP and SDGs: Building our Common Future with Innovation’. The event started with opening remarks by Prof. (Dr.) Ruhi Paul (Registrar, NLU Delhi) setting the stage. Prof. Unnat P. Pandit (Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks) and Mr. Huw Watkins (Head, Central and South Asia Policy, UK IPO) delivered special address. The special addresses emphasised on India’s growth on WIPO Innovation index and what can be done to further strengthen India’s role as a neutral partner at WIPO and other international forums to promote IP and sustainability. They also touched upon role of UK-India bilateral partnership and innovation from India to cater needs of not only of Indian people but also of other parts of the world.
The roundtable panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Yogesh Pai (NLU Delhi) and featured discussants from industry, academia, and diplomats to deliberate on the issue of ‘IP and Sustainability: Global Partnerships and the Evolving IP Landscape in India’. The discussants included Dr. Malathi Lakshmikumaran (Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys), Mr. Ankit Sahni (Ajay Sahni & Associates), Mr. Blaise Fernandes (Indian Music Industry), Mr. Aditya Gupta (Ira Law), Ms. Abhilasha Nautiyal (Ira Law), Ms. Latha Nair (K&S Partners), Mr. Ashuotsh Kumar (Singh and Singh), Mr. Ramesh K Mittal (EC Member of FIP and President of CAPEXIL), Prof. Suma Athreye (IIT Delhi), Dr. Sheetal Chopra (Ericsson India). The discussants highlighted positive changes brought by the amendment to Patent Rules in 2024 and how the amendments benefit both domestic and international businesses. They also discussed recent judgments on Indian patent law and their implications for domestic and international businesses, particularly award of damages in Standard Essential Patents (ICT sector) litigation by Delhi High Court. The issue of the role of technological innovation in GI regime was also discussed. On the topic of trade secret protection law, the discussants raised concern over position taken by Law Commission of India in its report on trade secret protection. In the area of copyright law, emerging issues such as AI and Copyright in the background of recent parliamentary committee reports and unlocking fair use in Music Industry etc. were discussed. The roundtable discussion ended with concluding remarks by Ms. Pragya Chaturvedi (IP Attaché, UK IPO).
