Indian Rayon Writes Off Unit

Intellectual property-related laws can not remain static in a world where economic development was becoming increasingly technology-based, Union industry minister Sikander Bakht said during the inauguration of the first interactive session on "Indian Patent Law Approaches".

The session was organised by the department of industrial development in association with the industry chambers CII, Ficci and Assocham.

Stressing that a modern and well-enforced intellectual property system was integral to the liberalising of the economy, Bakht called this the "compulsions of the future and the requirements of posterity". The interactive session, which is the first of the series of 20 such sessions planned by the industry ministry, will have a bearing on the policy-level decision making and will also seek to balance international obligations with the imperatives of public and national interests.

Bakht hoped that the outcome of the discussions would be guided by a vision of India as a proactive influence in the march to the next millennium. Recalling that Japan had amended its legislation over 45 times between 1945 and 1995, and that China and Japan had taken giant strides in this direction, he urged industry representatives and experts to make suggestions that would provide inputs for policy formulation and legislative changes.

The minister also recalled the efforts of the present government to enact amendments to the Patent Act 1970 and referred to the recently-concluded disputes with the US and the European Union on this legislation, which had been resolved in India's favour. Bakht underscored regional cooperation in the documentation of traditional database, protection of regional bio-diversity from bio-piracy and protection of the rights of traditional communities through the proposed Saarc Intellectual Property Forum and the Saarc Intellectual Property Information Network (SAIP Net).