India's IPR regime is fully compliant with global norms: Govt

Amidst the US raising concern over India's IPR laws, government today said its intellectual property rights regime is fully compliant with the global norms.
"India has consistently pointed out that the intellectual property right (IPR) legal regime in India is fully TRIPS compliant and that any issues to be discussed have to be discussed in bilateral forums like Trade Policy Forum (TPF)," an official statement said.
It said that India has refused to be subjected to unilateral action proposed by the US under the Special 301 report, an annual report on IPR under US Trade Act.
The joint statement, issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to America, has said, "...The leaders committed to establish an annual high level IP Working Group with appropriate decision making and technical level meetings as a part of the TPF".

Elaborating on that joint statement, it said : "USA agreeing to discuss IPR issues through the bilateral mechanism of the TPF is in fact a re-affirmation of India's stand that issues need bilateral discussion and not unilateral action. The statement on the IPR issue will only strengthen the bilateral institutional mechanism".
It also said that the joint statement issued merely reiterates whatever has existed in the earlier TPF.

IPR issues are critical for both the countries and India has been repeatedly raising the issue of copyright piracy and misappropriation of traditional knowledge with the US, it added.
"It is appropriate to mention that there already exists the Innovation and Creativity Focus Group in the TPF since 2010 to consult each other no less than twice a year on improving IPRs protection and enforcement, enhancing awareness of IPRs, fostering innovation and creativity, and increasing collaboration between US and Indian innovators," it said.

The US-India TPF is the principal trade dialogue body between the countries. It has five focus groups: Agriculture, Investment, Innovation and Creativity, Services, and Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers. TPF has not met since 2010.
American companies, particularly from the pharma sector, had alleged that Indian IPR laws discriminate against US companies and violate global norms.
On April 30, the US had brought out the Special 301 report, an annual review of the global state of IPR protection and enforcement, in which it has classified India as a 'priority watch list country'.
On the report, India has said that the Special 301 process is a unilateral measure taken by the US under their Trade Act, 1974 to create pressure on countries to increase IPR protection beyond the TRIPS agreement.

New Delhi has always maintained that its IPR regime is fully compliant with all international laws.