“A Workshop on Understanding the Balance of Traditional IP Rights and Open Access Initiatives – 30th September 2023”
The workshop titled "Understanding the Balance of Traditional IP Rights and Open Access Initiatives" was organized by the Intellectual Property Analysis and Advocacy Centre (IPAAC) at the National Law University Odisha (NLUO) in collaboration with the National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM) on September 30th, 2023. The guest speaker, Mr. Saurabh Trivedi, is the founder of IP Samdhan. He provides legal counsel to startups on various Intellectual Property issues and possesses extensive expertise in all facets of intellectual property laws, particularly in filing, prosecution, and enforcement of trademarks, copyrights, and designs.
During the workshop, Mr. Saurabh Trivedi discussed the "Utilization and Commercialization of Intellectual Property," drawing attention to the differences in how businessmen utilize IP compared to the average individual. He then turned the focus towards Patents, providing examples and explaining the process of filing a patent application in India. He also provided detailed insights on expedited examination and the processing of patent applications. The lecturer proceeded to elucidate the screening and classification process, followed by technical examination. Industrial design was introduced, accompanied by a thorough discussion on filing for Design application, including pertinent documentation and certification procedures.
Delving into copyrights, Mr. Trivedi illustrated various copyright examples and expounded on the rights conferred upon copyright owners. He covered the duration of copyright protection, as well as the application process. This was followed by a detailed discussion on the examination procedure at the copyright office, and the subsequent steps leading to a decision regarding the application. Geographical indications were introduced, exemplified by various instances, and the eligibility criteria for applying for GI rights were explained, along with the validity of each IP right, such as patents.
The territorial nature of IPs was discussed, along with the recognition of a Delhi High Court judgment emphasizing the importance of respecting IP rights across different territories and awarding damages in cases of infringement. A set of crucial pointers for handling IPRs were presented, along with a valuable piece of advice to file and protect one's IP before publication. The lecture concluded, paving the way for an engaging quiz session.
The quiz commenced, featuring activities like a crossword puzzle followed by a visual identification challenge, and concluding with a series of multiple-choice questions. The session concluded with a Vote of Thanks extended by Dr. Itishree Mishra, Director of the Intellectual Property Analysis & Advocacy Centre.
