Intellectual property rights may become a subject in education system

NEW DELHI: Intellectual property rights may soon become one of the key courses in the education system as the IPR Think Tank, in its draft national policy, has recommended that it be made a compulsory subject in all law colleges, National Institute of Fashion Technology, agriculture universities and management institutes.

The IPR Think Tank, headed by Justice Prabha Sridevan, in its draft policy recommended progressive introduction of IP teaching in schools, colleges and other educational institutions.

It also suggested introduction of "IP courses/modules in all major training institutes such as judicial academies, National Academy of Administration, police and customs academies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Institute for Foreign Service Training and forest training institutes".

Apart from strengthening the academic base for intellectual property rights, the think tank suggested integration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogans 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' with IPR.

It recommended adoption of "national slogan Creative India-Innovative India" and launching a "campaign by linking IPRs with other national initiatives such as 'Make in India', 'Digital India, 'Skill India' and 'Smart Cities'".

The body, set up on October 25 comprising IPR expert and senior advocate Pratibha M Singh, N K Sabharwal, Punit Bhargava, Rajeev Srinivasan and Unnat Pandit, suggested financial incentives for creation of IP.

Given rampant plagiarism in the IPR field, the body recommended creation of a multi-agency centralized task force to combat counterfeiting and piracy in IP and for strengthening enforcement and establishing coordination between different enforcement agencies.

It gave primacy to small and big innovations alike. It recommended enactment of a new law to "protect small innovations created by individual and small manufacturing enterprises as well as those created by the informal sector".

Alongside enforcement, the think tank also addressed pressing problems relating to disputes on IP. It recommended "designation of a special patent bench in the high courts of Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras for speedy disposal of patent cases and providing infrastructural support such as video conferencing to the litigants".

The expert body said the time had come to set up a National Institute of Excellence for IP to provide strategic support to the government. The first draft of the policy has been put up on the government website for comments from public. Based on public inputs, the expert body will consider sector-specific inputs in the final recommendations.

The body found that too many ministries were dealing with IP-related issues. It suggested creation of a high-level body in the government to monitor and coordinate policy implementation and related decisions.