The Hindu Business Line : `Intellectual property rights environment has changed in India'

The business world may no longer be worrying over intellectual property rights violations in India. The intellectual property right environment has changed considerably says the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

"My first impression this year was that no foreign businessman raised any concern over IPR issues," says Mr Phillippe Petit, Deputy Director General, WIPO.

The change has come about, says Mr Petit, first with the introduction of the TRIPS (Trade Related intellectual Property Rights). But a more positive trend that the WIPO has observed is the change of attitude. "This change will work in favour of foreign direct investments in India for the promotion of innovation," he says.

The India patents filed by Indian companies between 1995 and 2005 through Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT) have grown 365 per cent. The base was indeed small, yet this has got India into the top 21 countries, rated by the sheer number of patents. Of a million patents filed through the PCT, the share of India as of other developing countries has been growing fast, says Mr Petit.

Technical Problem

WIPO is also working very hard to finalise one or several treaties to protect traditional knowledge and general resources of traditional communities.

This is an area of great interest to India, along with other cultural knowledge and traditional medicine holders such as tribes, aborigines and other traditional communities in developing countries, Asia, South America and Africa. The WIPO funds the associations representing these traditional communities to put forward their cases.

However, there is a technical problem in addressing these issues, says Mr Petit.

"We know how to protect a product, or an idea but how do you protect the rights of a community."

Counterfeiting continues to be an issue not just in India, but countries across the world.