The Hindu Business Line : `Kerala among first States to have IPR policy'

A POLICY to protect intellectual property is a necessity, said the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, while inaugurating a two-day symposium on the draft Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy for Kerala in the city on Wednesday.

Mr Chandy said that the growing number of disputes on patents and other intellectual property has given rise to the need for an IPR policy. Kerala is among the first States to have such a policy, he added.

The two-day symposium is an attempt to ensure that all stakeholders are consulted before the policy is finalised, he explained. Mr Chandy expressed the hope that Kerala's IPR policy will become a model for other States.

The State Law Minister, Mr K.M. Mani, who was present at the inaugural session, said that the Government would do all it could to create awareness about intellectual property. The suggestions that emerge from the symposium will be considered while preparing the final IPR policy for the State, he added.

Several papers on various aspects of IPR will be presented on Thursday, the second day of the symposium. To enable members of the public to peruse and comment on the draft IPR policy, it will soon be posted on the Kerala Government's Web site and also on the site of the Kerala State Information Technology Mission, said Mr Anand Singh, Director, Kerala State Information Technology Mission.